The Stars of Time
by TheGameIsOn97
Summary: SEQUEL TO "DYING EMBERS": Life returns... Life prevails... Everything has changed. And in the mysterious world of the Nethersphere, plans have been drawn... and it most certainly can't lead to anything good. (FULL SUMMARY INSIDE!)
1. Summary

**_Life returns... Life prevails... Everything has changed._**

~o0o~

After the Battle of Trenzalore, the Doctor and Lexi Pond, known as the Glorious, live again after being given new and equal regeneration cycles from the Time Lords. Now they, the Twins of Time, Lucas Harper and Clara Oswald can begin their adventures again.

However, the time twins and the Impossibles all have their own, more personal issues to worry about. Along with learning about the new Couple of Time, they each have their own challenges that they'll end up having to face.

Jupiter with her dilemma of letting love take hold of her even though it may just result in both of her hearts breaking.

Sky and his struggle of letting go of the thing he holds dear so it can have its own happiness while also dealing with a new mystery that presents itself to him and him alone.

Lucas with his problem of trying to convince the woman he's falling for to just live in the moment and take each day as they come.

Then Clara and her problem of her newfound relationship with Maths teacher Danny Pink and her suddenly crumbling friendship with a certain Skyler Pond.

And then there's the Couple of Time. The Doctor and Lexi have their own issues, too. Issues that you wouldn't quite expect from a couple whose marriage has survived for over nine hundred years. After all, with a place like the Promised Land following them around, it can only make things worse.

What is the Promised Land?

Who is Missy?

Who is Kasimir?

And what more personal conflicts will the Couple of Time have to face?

~o0o~

 ** _In summation, in the mysterious world of the Nethersphere, plans have been drawn... and it most certainly can't lead to anything good._**


	2. Here We Go (Prologue)

**A/N: Well, I think the prologue title speaks for itself.**

 **We have now arrived at the beginning of a brand new era, and I can't wait to get things started!**

 **I know quite a few of you have been excited and waiting for this, so I thought I'd just go ahead and get it out for y'all.**

 **So...**

 **Here's the prologue to series 8!**

 **Enjoy! 😘**

* * *

 _Outside, London, Thames embankment, Day_...

In Victorian London, a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex strode past the House of Parliament and the clock tower (Big Ben) while crowds of Londoners gathered on the southern Embankment as they watched in amazement.

"Come on, out of the way. Move yourself, please." A Constable said as he cleared a path through the crowd. "Coming through. That's it. Excuse me, sir."

"Well, this is certainly unusual." Marguerite remarked, eyeing the T-Rex as she, Vastra, Jenny and Strax followed the Constable through the people that were gathered.

"Madame Vastra, thank God." An Inspector greeted as the Paternoster Gang arrived. "I'll wager you've not seen anything like this before."

"Well..." Vastra drawled out as she lifted her veil. "not since I was a little girl."

Jenny tilted her head as she gazed up at the dinosaur. "Big fella, isn't he?"

"Dinosaurs were mostly this size." Vastra stated before whispering in Jenny's ear. "I do believe it's a she."

"No, they weren't. I've seen fossils."

"I was there."

"I think we're all forgetting the bigger picture here." Marguerite sighed, tucking a stray piece of her red hair behind her ear before pointing up at the large creature. "Dinosaurs existed millions of years ago. And last time I checked, this was the nineteenth century."

"Thank you." The Inspector told her before gesturing at the Tyrannosaurus Rex. "How did it get here in the first place? What is this dinosaur fellow doing in the Thames?"

"It must have time travelled." Vastra shrugged before looking to Jenny. "Jenny?"

"Ma'am." Jenny nodded before then holding up her left arm to reveal a device with which she could scan the dinosaur.

"Time travelled?" The Inspector knitted his eyebrows together in confusion just before the dinosaur started trying to hack something up.

"Is it choking?" Vastra tilted her head as Marguerite held out her hand slightly, her eyes closed as she began sensing something.

"There seems to be something lodged in its throat." Jenny said, squinting her eyes as she tried to see.

Marguerite's eyes snapped open. "Er... I don't think that's exactly what it is. Sort of..."

"How could it time travel." The Inspector shook his head in bewilderment.

"I don't know. Perhaps it was something it ate." Vastra told him before glancing at Marguerite. "Are you sensing anything?"

Marguerite snorted, a smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, I'm sensing something..."

"What?" Jenny questioned just before the dinosaur hacked up a very familiar blue police public call box, said box spinning through the air before landing on the riverbank as the crowd let out gasps of astonishment. "Ah... I see."

"Yeah..."

"Stand back. Stand back, stand back." The Inspector said as he began pushing his way through the crowd before leaning over the rail. "Well, it's just laid an egg."

Vastra rolled her eyes. "It's dropped a blue box marked Police out of its mouth. Your grasp of biology troubles me."

Vastra then just sighed before going and joining Jenny, Marguerite and Strax as they stood away from the crowd.

"It's the TARDIS." Jenny said quietly.

"I told you that I sensed something." Marguerite reminded them, casting a glanced over her shoulder at the TARDIS down by the riverbank.

"Oh, it was definitely something." Vastra agreed.

"We'll take care of this, Inspector." Jenny told the officer.

The Inspector pointed at the T-Rex. "But what if that thing goes on the rampage?"

In response, Vastra just took a lantern that looked like a jack from a cloth bag. "Place these lanterns on the shoreline and bridges, encircling the creature at twenty-foot intervals."

The Inspector looked confusedly at the device as Vastra handed it to him. "What will they do?"

"They will emit a signal that will incline it to remain within their circumference." She told him before heading for the steps that lead down to the riverbank. "Jenny, Marguerite, Strax, with me."

"So, it's them, then?" Jenny asked as the four of them headed down the steps. "The Doctor and the Glorious?"

"A dinosaur from the distant past had just vomited a blue box from outer space," Vastra began, a slight smile appearing on her face. "this is not a day for jumping to conclusions."

Marguerite snickered before looking to Strax. "Mister Strax, I believe that's your cue."

Everyone's favorite potato nodded before then walking to the TARDIS and knocking on the door. "Hello? Exit the box, and surrender to the glory of the Sontaran Empire."

Suddenly, the TARDIS door opened and the Doctor stuck his head out. "Shush!"

The door was then shut again, leaving Strax standing there in utter confusion. "Doctor?"

The TARDIS door then open again, the Doctor poking his head out once more. "We were being chased by a giant dinosaur, but I think I managed to give it the slip." He told Strax before shutting the door again. However, it only stayed closed for a moment before it slowly opened again, the Doctor narrowing his eyes at Strax. "Sleepy?"

"Sir?" Strax asked.

The Doctor stepped out, staring at Strax. "Bashful? Sneezy? Dopey? Grumpy?" He looked past Strax, just then noticing Vastra, Jenny and Marguerite. "Oh, you three. The green one and the... not-green ones. Or it could be the other way 'round, I think. I mustn't prejudge."

"Because that's never a good thing." Lexi came out of the TARDIS next, walking in a zig-zag until she stumbled into Marguerite's arms, said human-genie hybrid catching her with wide eyes as Jupiter, Sky, Lucas and Clara emerged from the TARDIS, all four of them disheveled.

"Oh, you remember my wife. She's still bloody gorgeous." The Doctor waved towards Lexi, said woman blushing as Marguerite tried to adjust her grip on her. She and the Doctor were barely a few minutes out of their regeneration, and he was already complimenting her again and again. It could be worse, though. "And the, er... thingies. The not-us ones. The asking questions ones. Names, not my area."

"Clara." Clara frowned at him. "That's Lucas, that's Sky, and that's Jupiter."

"Well, it might be Clara, Lucas, Sky and Jupiter. Might not be. It's a lottery."

"It is, Dad." Jupiter sighed.

"Oh, you're the, er... things. The dear ones... The loves, something or others." The Doctor pointed at Jupiter and Sky before shrugging. "Still, not ruling the whole thing out. Oi!" He glared, turning when he heard a dinosaur roaring behind him. "Big man! Shut it! Oh, you've got a dinosaur, too." He winced. "Big woman. Sorry."

"Dad." Sky cautiously walked forward. "You need to calm down –"

"I'm not flirting by the way." The Doctor scowled at the dinosaur. "I have a beautiful and glorious wife, and I don't plan on giving her up anytime soon, thanks very much."

Lexi giggled at that, still clutching onto Marguerite as she gazed up at her face. "I used to have red hair. I miss it... Well, I think I miss it. Wait... you're the magic one, the purple mist thingy... the, er... your name's... Margarita!"

"It's... Marguerite, actually." Marguerite quirked an eyebrow, looking past Lexi as said woman pushed off of her and stumbled over towards the Doctor.

"Has something gone wrong?" Lucas asked, eyeing the Couple of Time nervously.

"Wrong?" The Doctor frowned at him. "What's wrong? Have you regenerated?" He brightened suddenly, pointing at Clara. "I remember you! You're Handles! You used to be a little, a little robot head, and now you... you've really let yourself go."

"I don't think that she has." Sky frowned.

"Gah!" Lexi doubled over, clutching her head as Jupiter rushed over to help try and keep her upright while watching as golden regeneration came out of Lexi's mouth.

"Lex!" The Doctor ran over to her, taking her face in both of his hands. "Alexis?"

"That's new." Lexi muttered, watching as her golden regeneration energy waffled through the air before dissipating entirely. She winced. "My head... It hurts."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Reduce the frequency."

"I'm sorry?" Vastra blinked.

"Your sonic lanterns, turn them down." He ordered, glancing at her. "You're giving her a headache."

"The Glorious?" Jenny asked.

"And her." The Doctor nodded at T-Rex.

"How do you know?" Strax questioned.

He sighed. "Come on, Clara, you know that I speak dinosaur."

Clara scowled. "He's not Clara. I'm Clara!"

"Well, you're all very similar heights." The Doctor shrugged. "Maybe you should wear labels."

"Is anyone else seeing double?" Lexi mumbled, gripping onto Jupiter's shoulder. "Stop... Stop doing that."

Jupiter frowned at her mother. "I think we're all fine, Mum. Relatively speaking."

"But there's, I'm seeing..." Lexi tilted her head, both her blue eye and green eye going glassy. "I think... I think I've hit my off switch."

The Doctor quickly caught Lexi as she fell away from Jupiter, unconscious.

"Glorious!" Lucas ran forward.

"No." The Doctor held up a hand as he lowered his wife to the ground. "No, she's fine."

"She just passed out!"

"After-effects of regeneration." He shook his head before pausing. "Actually, I think she's got the right idea... Everyone, take five."

With wide eyes, Sky and Clara rushed to catch the Doctor when he fell unconscious, too, as Jupiter and Lucas crouched by Lexi's body.

"What do we do?" Clara asked nervously, looking across at Sky as they kneeled on either side of the Doctor's body.

"I don't understand." Jenny shook her head, utterly confused. "Who are they? Where're the Doctor and the Glorious?"

"Right here." Sky answered. "This is them... This is the Doctor and the Glorious."

Jenny's jaw dropped, Strax's eyes widened, and Marguerite tilted her head in thought as she looked upon the unconscious Time Lords.

Vastra just looked down at the Couple of Time and their just barely touching fingertips as they laid unconscious on the ground. A newly-regenerated Doctor, and a just-regenerated-for-the-first-time Glorious.

Vastra sighed. "Well, then... here we go."

* * *

 **A/N: The 12th Doctor and 2nd Glorious have officially landed, people!**

 **NOTE ~ I hope you guys don't mind that I changed Vastra's line at the end there just slightly. I figured since it's Lexi's first time going through this, it wouldn't be " _Well, then... here we go again._ ", and that it'd just be " _Well, then... here we go._ " I just want y'all to know that I did that on purpose.**

 **Anyway...**

 **As I wrote the prologue, I began falling in love with Evaldi more than I already was. I freaking love this pairing so much!**

 **I'm super excited for this upcoming series. Especially episodes like " _Robot of Sherwood_ ", " _Listen_ ", " _Time Heist_ ", " _Mummy on the Orient Express_ ", and " _In the Forest of the Night_ ", among a couple of others. Basically, the majority of series 8 is going to be really fun for me! And I hope for all of you as well. ️**

 **" _Deep Breath_ " is coming up next!**

 **Until then...**

 **💋 _Love always,_**

 _ **~Maddy**_


	3. Deep Breath: Part 1

**A/N: HELLO!**

 **I'd forgotten how much I loved this episode, and how funny it was until I wrote it. Capaldi's official debut as the Doctor was actually a pretty amazing episode.**

 **Guest stars, anyone?**

 **~o0o~**

GUEST STARRING

 **Emma Stone** as _Jupiter Pond_

 **Richard Madden** as _Skyler_ " _Sky_ " _Pond_

 **Rose Leslie** as _Marguerite_

 **~o0o~**

 **Excited?**

 **The Impossibles and the Twins of Time are at Vastra and Jenny's, and the Couple of Time have gone off on their own (scary, right?).**

 **How do you think Clara and Lucas fare in dealing with the regenerations of the Doctor and Lexi? Do they fare well? Not well? A bit of both? We shall see...**

 **I very eagerly present to you... " _Deep Breath_ "!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Bedroom, Night..._

"It's simply misunderstandable to me!" The Doctor ranted as he paced the length of a spare bedroom in Vastra and Jenny's house. Vastra watched in amusement as Sky and Jupiter worked on getting Lexi under the covers, both of them occasionally looking over at their father in concern. However, their concern was split somewhere else as well. Like it was said, they were working on getting their unconscious mother settled in the bed. The Doctor's first order of business when he had woken up had been to get Lexi somewhere safe. She still hadn't woken up yet, which had made her husband a bit concerned. However, it was her first time going through something like this. It could take a bit longer for her. Anyway, now that they were safely in a spare bedroom, the Doctor was now going off on Vastra. "I don't know what it is. Who invented this room?"

He opened the door to the hall, nearly making Clara, Lucas, Jenny and Marguerite fall in.

"Doctor, please, you have to calm down." Clara urged.

"It doesn't make sense!" The Doctor insisted. "Look, it's only got a bed in it. Why is there only a bed in it?"

"Because it's a bedroom. It's for sleeping in."

"Okay, what do you do when you're awake?"

"You leave the room." Jenny sighed.

The Doctor snorted. "So you've got a whole room for not being awake in. But what's the point? You're just missing the room. And don't look in that mirror, it's absolutely furious."

"I think that's just you, Dad." Jupiter snickered, standing up straight from brushing a piece of Lexi's hair off her forehead, said woman snuggling deeper under the covers as she continued to sleep.

The Doctor frowned, but Clara just looked like she was about ready to snap. "Doctor, please. You have to lie down. You keep passing out."

"Well, of course I keep passing out!" The Doctor rolled his eyes. "There's all these beds. Why do you keep talking like that? What's gone wrong with your accent?"

"Nothing's wrong with her accent." Jenny frowned.

"You sound the same." The Doctor pointed at her. "You all sound all... English! Now you've all developed a fault!"

"Dad," Sky sighed, completely ignoring the fact that his own father just apparently forgot he had Scottish accent. The Doctor turned to look at his son. "there's something I need your help with."

"Finally, someone who can talk properly." The Doctor sighed in relief.

"I don't usually ask for help, but I've actually been having trouble sleeping." Sky tilted his head slightly as he carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to him. "Would you mind helping me with the use of a psychic link?"

"If it's for you, of course." The Doctor nodded, sitting down next to Sky before reaching to touch his temples. Sky was a Time Lord. He'd be able to handle something such as a psychic link with the Doctor. And if Sky was having trouble with something, such as falling asleep, the Doctor of course would help him. Just like he'd help Jupiter or Lexi. "Just one th–"

The moment the Doctor's fingers made contact, his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell back onto the bed, sound asleep.

Sky smirked. "Mummy's last self did teach me a few useful things."

"Clever, brother mine." Jupiter grinned, helping Sky tuck the Doctor in right next to Lexi. "Our dear father just doesn't always know when to quit, does he?"

"Never." Sky chuckled. "But you know, that's not really surprising."

"Oh, Marguerite, there is something I needed to ask you." Jupiter said in remembrance, turning towards the human-genie, holding up her parents wedding rings. "D'you mind working your magic and making these fit them again? I don't even think either of them realized they fell off."

"No at all." Marguerite smiled, Jupiter placing the rings in the palm of her hand as Lucas and Clara walked past them and over to the bed where the sleeping Couple of Time laid. "I'll get to work."

"So what now?" Lucas asked, gazing down at Lexi's sleeping face as Marguerite exited the room.

"They both need rest." Sky answered, glancing out the window and into the night, seeing the dinosaur off in the distance.

"But what do we do now?" Clara asked, kneeling beside the Doctor's side of the bed. "How do we fix them?"

Jupiter raised an eyebrow, Sky looking away from the window at Clara's words. "Fix them?"

"How do we change them back?"

Jupiter pressed her lips into a thin line before looking to Vastra. "Madame Vastra, would you mind if my brother and I use your conservatory?"

"Of course not." Vastra shook her head. "Jenny and I will go and have tea prepared for you."

"Thank you." Jupiter smiled at her before looking to Clara and Lucas again as Vastra and Jenny exited the room. "You two, out. We'll be there in a minute."

"I haven't even said anything." Lucas defended himself.

"We know you didn't. But Clara did." Sky responded, stepping up next to Jupiter. "And you know, you definitely are thinking something. And we'd like to know what. So please, go and wait for us."

"Do as we're told, yeah yeah. Fine." Lucas rolled his eyes, before nodding at Clara. "Come on, Clara. Let's give the time twins some privacy."

"Yeah, whatever." Clara sighed, just brushing past Lucas before exiting the room.

Lucas just sighed, giving Sky and Jupiter an apologetic look before he went and followed after Clara.

Jupiter then turned to her brother once they were alone. "What are we going to do, Sky? What are we supposed to tell them?"

"We'll see what they have to say first." He responded, casting one more glance at his asleep parents before he and Jupiter made their way out of the room. "Maybe then we can get them to understand what's actually happened a bit better."

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Conservatory..._

"Alright." Jupiter sighed, she and Sky sitting down in a couple of chairs across from Clara and Lucas. "One at a time. Clara, you first."

Clara inhaled deeply before just letting it all out. "How do we fix them?" She blurted out. "How do we get the Glorious to be her fun loving, sassy red-headed self again? How do we get the Doctor to be young like before? How did the Glorious get to be blonde and English, and shrink half a foot? Where did the Doctor get his face? Why's it got lines on it? It's brand new. How can his hair be all grey? He only just got it! It's like they're not here anymore! And I get why you and Sky understand better, they're your parents. But the Doctor doesn't look like he's renewed himself! And yes, the Glorious still looks young, but she's not who we know! They're just... they're just not the same."

"Are you done?" Sky raised a slightly amused eyebrow, watching as Clara caught her breath.

Clara blinked, opening her mouth to say something else when she realized that... she didn't actually have anything left to say at all. "Yes."

"Okay, then." Sky nodded before looking to Lucas. "Anything you'd like to say?"

Lucas sighed, taking a sip of his tea before placing it aside. "It's just..." He tilted his head slightly, trying to pick out the right words, wringing his hands together as he sat forward in his seat. "It's like... I knew that it could happen, but... actually seeing it happen... it's hard to process."

"Alright, we can work with that." Jupiter nodded, setting her own teacup aside before looking straight at Clara and Lucas. "Sky and I understand why you're feeling this way. We get why you don't fully understand it all. Hell, we're trying to process it ourselves. True, our Dad looked younger. He looked quite a bit younger. Key word: looked. But he's lived for centuries and centuries. Yes, it surprised us some to see him change into this, but that doesn't mean we love him any less. It's still him."

"And our Mum, yes she still looks young." Sky continued. "However, we do have to remember that she is now over nine hundred years old. Of course she no longer looks like the mother we've always known, but it's still her."

"The point is, they could change into anything." Jupiter told them. "Our father has had many faces. His first incarnation was the oldest of them all until the War Doctor. And this is only our mother's second face. She's never gone through this before now. Basically, regeneration is a lottery. Just like you've heard before."

"No matter what they look like, they're still Mum and Dad to us." Sky said, leaning forward in his seat. "Just like they should still be the Glorious and the Doctor to you."

"We're not trying to say how you should feel." Jupiter interjected. "We're just hoping to get you to see a way of looking at all of this so it won't be as difficult to come to terms with."

"'Cause like it or not, this is what it is." Sky added. "I mean, one day Jupe and I are going to change. We don't know when or who we'll change into, but it's going happen at some point."

Jupiter tilted her head as she looked at the two friends. "How would you feel if me and Sky had changed?"

"I don't... I don't know." Lucas finally got out.

"Exactly. Because you can't." Sky pointed out. "No one can ever truly tell how they'll feel until they actually experience it."

"But even then, it doesn't matter." Jupiter shook her head. "True, the Doctor and the Glorious look different. Our father and mother look different. Their personalities will most certainly have changed a bit as well. But the memories, their memories, still remain. They are there... And isn't that what really matters in the end?"

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Bedroom..._

Having somehow managed to move closer to her husband in her sleep, Lexi laid with her head on his chest, soft snores escaping through her slightly parted lips.

The Doctor then sniffed twice before bolting upright, causing Lexi to fall face-first into his pillow. However, she did not wake and just made a noise of discontent before rolling over on her side away from the Doctor.

The Doctor glanced over and down at her, smiling slightly before he was kicked and accidentally pushed out of the bed, making a thud on the floor as Lexi snuggled deeper under the covers.

"Are you going to be a bed hogger now?" The Doctor muttered, rubbing his arm where he had landed on it before getting to his feet, pausing when he heard the dinosaur roar again. He went to the door and opened it, then paused. "Door. Boring. Not me." He said quickly, then shut the door again before going to the window and opening it. He grinned. "Me!"

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Conservatory..._

"I'm sorry." Clara said. "It's just a lot to take in. And –"

"Look, we get it." Sky cut her off. "I mean, we can't completely know since we haven't changed ourselves." He said, gesturing at himself and Jupiter. "But we understand it enough to realize that there's no changing what happened. We make peace with what we now have, and we care for them as much as possible so they don't feel like they're being abandoned."

"Who said anything about abandoning them?" Lucas asked in surprise.

Jupiter gave him an incredulous look. "Well, you and Clara aren't really giving much indication that you're... oh, I don't know... wanting to help them?"

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really?"

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Bedroom..._

Lexi stirred, making a noise and sniffling before her eyes shot open and she sat straight up. She instinctively looked to her side to see the Doctor's side of the bed empty. Concerned, she quickly flung the covers off of herself and got out of bed, pausing when she saw herself in the full length mirror. She tilted her head slightly, putting a hand to the side of her face as she gazed into her two different colored eyes. Her one blue eye, cold as ice. And her one green eye, as brilliant as an emerald like her husband's last self had.

"Am I shorter?" She muttered suddenly, lightly bouncing on the balls of her feet, making the DG necklace she still wore around her neck jingle slightly. "Who shrinks half a foot?" She asked herself, pausing when she heard the dinosaur roar. She quickly rushed over to the window, just then noticing that it was open. "Oh, that's so him." She grinned before rushing for the bedroom door, snatching a dressing gown off a chair as she passed it.

•••

 _Outside, London, Rooftops..._

The Doctor, dressed only in his full-length nightshirt, made his way across the rooftops as he worked his way towards the river.

"Oi!" He called to the dinosaur. "Oi! Oi, you dinosaur! Oi! Sorry, sorry, it's all my fault. My time machine got stuck in your throat. It happens. I brought you along by accident. That's mostly how I meet girls, but don't worry, I promise my wife and I will get you home. You know, once she's woken up. I swear. Whatever it takes, I will keep you safe. You will be at home again." He paused when the dinosaur suddenly burst into flames, said dinosaur roaring one last time before she collapsed. "Stop that!" His eyes widened. "Who's doing that? No, don't do that!"

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Conservatory..._

The time twins and the Impossibles all shot out of their chairs, having heard the sound of the dinosaur.

"That was the dinosaur!" Clara spun around.

"Where did that come from?" Lucas asked in concern just as a certain someone rushed into the room.

"The river." Lexi said before spinning around and running back out of the room. "Vastra!" She shouted as everyone ran after her. "We need a carriage, now!"

•••

 _Outside, London..._

The Doctor leapt down from the roof into a nearby tree, wincing when the branch broke under him, causing him to fall through the branches of the tree until he hit the lowest one, his legs helping him hang upside down. "Ow." His eyes brightened a bit when a horse-drawn cab came into view. "Halt!" He ordered, causing the horse to stop. "Sorry, I'm going to have to relieve you of your pet."

"You're what?" The cabbie blinked.

"Shut up, I was talking to the horse."

The Doctor then flipped and dropped from the branch onto the back of the horse. He then used his sonic to sever the reins. "What are you doing?" The cabbie stared at him.

"Forwards!" The Doctor ordered, the horse then galloping off.

And only a few moments later, Strax came by, driving Vastra's carriage, carrying Vastra, Jenny, Lexi, the time twins and the Impossibles past as well while a distinct glowing purple mist flowed through the air, indicating that Marguerite was following them, too.

"Out of the way, human scum!" Strax growled. "Hiyah! Jurassic Emergency! Yah!"

•••

 _Outside, London, Street..._

"Left!" The Doctor ordered the horse, then shook his head. "No, no. Right, right, right, right! Sorry, it's my new hands, I can't tell them apart."

•••

 _Inside, Carriage..._

"What do you think's happened?" Jenny asked while the seven of them were in the carriage as it raced through the streets.

"I don't know, but I fear devilment." Vastra answered as the glowing purple mist of Marguerite raced past her carriage window.

"Should we not have told the Doctor?" Clara asked.

Lexi just smirked. "Do we not know the Doctor at all?"

Lucas closed his eyes. "He climbed out the window, didn't he?"

Lexi just laughed.

•••

 _Outside, London, Street..._

"Watch it on the corners." The Doctor warned the horse. "It's a bit slippery up here."

•••

 _Inside, Carriage..._

"Strax!" Vastra shouted out the door. "Come on, Strax!"

With her head stuck out the window, Jupiter grinned as she saw a wave of the glowing purple mist of Marguerite hit the back of the horse, sending it off faster. "That's better!"

•••

 _Outside, London, Bridge..._

The Doctor quickly arrived on the closest bridge crossing the Thames where the dinosaur was killed.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry." The Doctor whispered as he dismounted the horse and leapt onto the railing overlooking the still-burning remains.

He then heard a carriage stop behind him before feeling a hand take his a few moments later.

"Doctor." Lexi whispered.

"She was scared." The Doctor shook his head as Lexi climbed up to stand on the railing with him, the dressing gown she was wearing blowing in the night breeze as everyone else climbed out of the carriage, Marguerite manifesting again into her human-looking form. "She was scared and alone. I brought her here, and look what they did."

"This wasn't your fault." Lexi tried to tell him, gripping onto his hand tighter.

"Who or what could have done this thing?" Vastra asked, looking over the side of the bridge and down at the burning dinosaur.

"No." The Doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry?"

"No, that is not the question. That is not where we start."

"The question is how." Strax said. "The flesh itself has been combusted."

"No, no, shut up." The Doctor shook his head. "What do you all have for brains, pudding? Look at you. Why can't I meet a decent species?" He looked down at Lexi. "Planet of the pudding brains."

"Ahem." Sky cleared his throat as Clara walked up next to him. "I think you might want to rephrase that, Dad."

Lexi raised an eyebrow as she looked up at her husband. "Are you calling the woman you fell in love with a pudding brain?"

The Doctor paused. "Maybe I should've thought that out more... Some of them are better than others, I will admit."

"I should hope so." Lucas mumbled as Jupiter stepped up next to him, not taking her eyes off her parents.

"Doctor, we know you're upset, but you need to calm down and talk to us." Clara told him. "What is the question?"

"A dinosaur is burning in the heart of London." The Doctor observed. "Nothing left but smoke and flame. The question is, have there been any similar murders?"

Vastra's eyes widened. "Yes! Yes, by the Goddess, there have!"

"Look at them all, gawking." The Doctor gestured around. "Question two: If all the pudding brains are gawking... then what is he?"

Everyone turned to see where the Doctor was pointing, all of then seeing one man walking away calmly.

Marguerite tilted her head as she watched the man. "He seems remarkably calm about the whole spectacle happening in front of him."

"Do you think that's whoever –" Jupiter began.

Lexi sighed when she felt the Doctor let go of her hand before jumping. She pinched the bridge of her nose a moment later when she heard a splash down below. "Again... That's so him."

"What's he doing?" Clara rushed to look over. "He'll drown!"

"I very much doubt it." Vastra said as a matter-of-fact.

"An innocent creature has been murdered." Lexi stated as she hopped down from the railing of the bridge. "The Doctor has never exactly taken kindly to something like that. And we shouldn't either." She said as she went and mounted the horse the Doctor had arrived on. "I shall see you all later. You know what to do!" She smiled, patting the side of the horse. "Ta-ta!"

"Where is she going?" Lucas asked, wide eyed as he watched Lexi gallop off on the horse.

Vastra smirked. "The Doctor and the Glorious are always concerned for each other. If either one of them goes off somewhere during a situation such as this one, the other won't be far behind."

"So even though they're both not really stable at the moment," Clara began, trying to make sense of things. "they'll still try and help each other?"

"They're the Couple of Time." Sky nodded. "It's what they do."


	4. Deep Breath: Part 2

_Outside, London, Thames embankment, Day_...

In the wee hours of the morning, the sun barely above the horizon, Sky stood watch as Strax directed two men in loading the TARDIS onto a trailer. With most of everyone else still asleep back at the house, Sky had elected to go with the psychotic potato dwarf to be sure that Idris was well taken care of, given the state she was in.

"Don't worry, Old Girl." Sky said, patting the TARDIS as she laid on her side on the horse-drawn trailer, said box letting out a tired hum as she was being readied to be wheeled off back to Paternoster Row. "We've got you."

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Clara's room_...

"Rise and shine!" Marguerite greeted cheerfully, carrying a tea tray into the room Clara had slept in, said woman barely awake as the tea tray was placed on the bedside table.

"Mm." Clara propped herself up on her elbows, looking to the side and watching as Marguerite poured her a cuppa tea. "You didn't have to do this."

"Eh." She shrugged. "Keep myself busy. I'll be having to help Madame Vastra in a bit with another case she's working on. Thought I'd see what I could do for everyone until then."

"What is everyone up to?" Clara asked curiously as she got out of bed before wrapping shawl about her shoulders.

"Oh, well, Mister Sky is out with Strax, procuring the TARDIS to bring back here. Not sure what Miss Jupiter is doing at the moment." Marguerite spoke as she handed Clara a teacup. "And I believe Madame Vastra is preoccupied with some sort of forgery case while Jenny is readying herself for the day as well."

Clara nodded slowly, lifting the cuppa to her lips. "Do you sleep?"

"Of course I sleep." Marguerite laughed, pouring herself a cup of tea. "I may be a genie, but I am still half-human."

"Right." Clara nodded again before she and Marguerite heard a noise from outside.

"Come on, Earthling scum! Position it here! Easy now. That's it. Careful!" Strax's voice said from outside, making Clara and Marguerite set their teacups aside before going and opening the window, both of them looking out to see Strax directing a footman to put the TARDIS down in the courtyard as Sky dismounted from a horse. "Don't get it scratched, or you and all your bloodline will be obliterated from time and space."

"Very good, sir." The footman answered.

Clara looked on in amusement. "Strax!" She called.

"Ah!" Strax looked up at them. "Morning, Miss Clara, Miss Marguerite. You're awake at last."

"You got the TARDIS, then?" Marguerite asked.

"Strax calls it military tactics." Sky said, handing the reins of the horse off to a stable-hand before walking over to stand beside Strax as they looked up at the two women. "My parents are still missing, but they will always come back for Idris."

Strax nodded in agreement. "And by bringing it here, they will be lured from the dangers of London to this place of safety, and we will melt them with acid."

Both girls blinked, and Sky looked over and down at Strax with an eyebrow raised.

Clara tilted her head. "Repeat that last part, will you, Strax?"

He paused. "And we will not melt them with acid." He corrected. "Old habits." He held up a newspaper. "The Times. Shall I send it up?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Hah!" Strax then threw the newspaper to Clara, Marguerite not being fast enough and her and Sky watching with wide eyes as the newspaper hit Clara in the head, making her fall backwards.

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Lucas's room_...

Lucas sat on the side of the bed in the spare bedroom he had slept in as he worked on buttoning the last couple of buttons on the Victorian waistcoat that was provided for him. He still never got used to this. He was a History teacher. And here he was, in the 1890s in freaking Victorian London.

Lucas just shook his head, smiling to himself slightly just before there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" He called, buttoning the last button as he stood up from the bed.

"Thought you might like some tea." Jupiter said as she opened the door and entered the room with a tray in her hands, now dressed in a black and crimson casual Victorian gown with her red hair pinned up atop her head, a loose curl hanging down on either side of her face. "And a biscuit or two."

"Thank you." Lucas smiled at her as she set the tray down on the small table over by the window.

"No problem." Jupiter smiled back as she stood up straight again. "I have to go have a few words with my brother now, but feel free to find me if you need anything else."

"I will." He nodded, smiling slightly as he watched her go back out of the room and shut the door behind her, not seeing the smile drop from Lucas's face as he let out a sigh.

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Clara's room_...

"So, how exactly are you feeling, Clara?" Marguerite enquired as she was pinning Clara's hair up for her, said woman sitting at a vanity.

"As well as you can expect, I suppose." Clara shrugged. "It's just that this whole thing is so... much. So much to deal with."

Marguerite nodded slightly, pursing her lips in thought as she worked on putting the last few pins in Clara's hair. "Did the time twins not speak with you and Lucas last night about all of that?"

"Please, let's not revisit that conversation." Clara sighed, avoiding eye contact with Marguerite, said human-genie not saying anything in response and just smirking internally. Oh, she had a feeling Clara would get a grasp on this sooner or later.

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Study_...

"Any idea where they could've gone?" Jupiter asked as she entered the study, seeing her brother sitting behind the large wooden desk as he looked through an old book.

"I didn't see any sign of them while I was out with Strax." Sky answered, looking up as his sister moved to sit across from him. "They'll turn up, though. They always do."

"I know they will." Jupiter nodded, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her seat. "Still, it is a bit nerve wracking."

"Understatement, sister dear." Sky muttered, looking back down at the book he was reading. "It's all brand new, especially for Mum, and they're out there alone."

"There has to be some sign, though." Jupiter shook her head as she thought out loud. "I mean, if you really think about it, don't you feel like they'd send some sort of message?"

"Well, their minds might be a bit fuddled at the moment." Sky told her, glancing up from his book. "In case you've forgotten, they have just regenerated. Honestly, though... I'm mostly concerned about Mum."

"Yeah, she's never... you know, before." Jupiter conceded before sighing as she stood up again. "I'll be in the conservatory. Water the plants, or something."

"You alright?" Sky asked, setting the book down on the desk as he looked at her.

"Oh, I'm fine." Jupiter waved him off as she made her way to the door. "Just thinking."

"About?" Sky raised an eyebrow.

"Not sure yet." Is all she replied with as she exited the study, shutting the door behind her.

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Hall_...

"Your genie lamp is like, you know, sort of... bigger on the inside?" Clara asked, laughing internally at what she'd just asked as she and Marguerite walked down the hall, Clara now carrying the newspaper as she was now dressed in a period gown and her hair now all pinned up on top of her head, courtesy of Marguerite. Clara actually looked much like she did when she, or her echo, was a governess.

Marguerite giggled slightly. "I could show you."

"Really?" Clara asked in surprise.

"Sure. It wouldn't be difficult at all. The Glorious has already seen it." Marguerite shrugged as the two of them reached the stairs just as Jenny was making her way up. "Jenny!"

"Ah." Jenny smiled as the two of them walked down the stairs to meet her on the landing. "Morning, Marguerite, Clara."

"Morning." Clara said back as she and Marguerite began walking back up the stairs with her. "Quick question... What are we supposed to do now? Are all of us going to go looking for the Doctor and the Glorious?"

"We've got the Paternoster Irregulars out in force. If anyone can find them, they can." Jenny answered. "Meanwhile, Madame Vastra is slightly occupied by the Conk-Singleton forgery case. And is having the Camberwell child-poisoner for dinner."

"For dinner?"

"After she's finished interrogating him." Marguerite answered for Jenny. "Which is the thing I told you I was going to have to help her with." She smirked slightly. "Perks of being a genie, I can make people have weird hallucinations and get them to confess just about anything we need them to."

Clara blinked. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Oh, I don't think we'll have a problem." Marguerite laughed. "Although, it would probably be best to stay out the larder."

"It's true." Jenny nodded in agreement. "It'll get a bit noisy in there later."

"Right." Clara just nodded slowly as Jenny walked away from them. She then directed her gaze back to Marguerite. "So... genie lamp?"

"Yes." Marguerite nodded, gesturing for Clara to follow her further down the hall to the room where she had her oil-lamp.

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Kitchen_...

Strax was mopping the floor when he saw Lucas walking down the hall towards him.

"Ah, Mister Lucas!" Strax exclaimed, leaning the mop against the wall. "Feel better now that you're up and about?"

"I... think so?" Lucas answered, not sure why Strax asked him that.

"Nah, you look terrible." Strax shook his head. "Can I get you anything?"

"Okay, first, thanks for that, mate." Lucas chuckled as he sat down in a chair by the kitchen table. "And second, I believe I'm alright. I've already had tea and biscuits this morning."

"Really?" Strax asked as he walked over to Lucas. "I suppose it's time, then..." He took out a small handheld device and turned it on before advancing towards Lucas. "for your mandatory medical examination." He aimed the device at Lucas's eye as he looked through it. "Say, 'Ah.'"

"Ah." Lucas opened his mouth.

"You didn't move your lips."

"You're looking at my eye."

"Oh, yes, there we are." Strax nodded. "Easy mistake." He said as he shined the device on Lucas's forehead. "Ah! Now that's interesting."

"What?" Lucas asked. "What's interesting?"

Strax squinted as he looked into the device. "Mild case of altruism, traces of passive aggressive, and lots of images of Miss Jupiter."

"What are you looking at?" Lucas asked quickly, leaning away from Strax.

"Your subconscious." Strax replied, looking at him before looking back into the device and squinting. "That is quite a lot of smiling images of Miss Jupiter. Mister Lucas, you are thinking of her quite a bit."

"Okay, that's enough." Lucas quickly flipped the device closed.

Strax just opened the device again and stood back to scan his torso. "Moving on to the thorax, such as it is... Ah, excellent. Enviable spleen! Well done. Thirty years old, with a projected lifespan of –"

"Stop, right there." Lucas flipped the device closed again.

"Oh, you're going to do quite well." Strax waved him off, reopening the device once again. "But watch out for fluid retention later, it's going to be spectacular." He stated, tilting his a bit. "Well, go on. Put your clothes back on."

"They are on!" Lucas scowled at him.

Strax nodded. "Oh, yes, so they are."

Lucas just shook his head, taking the device from Strax before setting it on the table. "Why are you doing this?"

"If we are to serve together, I need you in peak physical prowess. Eh?" Strax punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" Lucas punched him back, frowning. "Why would we be serving together? The Doctor and the Glorious are going to come back, aren't they?"

"It is to be hoped."

"They're not just going to abandon me, Clara and their children here." Lucas said quickly before closing his eyes at his own words as he remembered part of the conversation he and Clara had had with Sky and Jupiter the previous night. "You know what? Forget I said that."

"You must stop worrying about them, girl." Strax just shook his head. "By now, they've almost certainly had their throats cut by the violent poor."

•••

 _Outside, London, Alley_...

"And what do you think you're doing, my sweet?"

The Doctor spun around to see his wife sitting atop the horse he had ridden on the previous night. Lexi just smirked at him as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through the horse's mane, said horse letting out a neigh of appreciation.

"Ah, there you are." The Doctor pointed at her. "Was wondering when you'd get here."

"Yes, because we all know what a challenge it is to find you." She said back as she slid off the horse, her feet coming to be planted firmly on the ground. Lexi then paused, tilting her her head. "Actually... You know what? It can be."

"Well, I didn't ask you to go searching for me all night." The Doctor responded, leaning back down to dig through the rubbish that was in the alley.

"Yes, but you knew that I would." Lexi pointed out, smiling slightly as she walked away from the horse and towards her husband. "Forgive me for being concerned about you."

"All is forgiven because I'm concerned for you as well." He told her, picking up a broken mirror before turning to face her. "Now, bitey... The air, it's bitey. It's wet and bitey."

"It's cold." She explained, eyeing him.

"That's right." The Doctor nodded. "It's cold. It's cold. I knew it was a thing. I need, um..."

"Clothes, I believe, is the word you're looking for." Lexi wrinkled her nose. "You stink."

"And a big long scarf." The Doctor nodded before wincing. "No, no, move on from that. Looked stupid. Er, have you seen this face before?"

Lexi tilted her head, looking into her husband's eyes as she considered. "I don't think so...?"

"Are you sure about that, Lex?"

"Can't really be too sure about anything right now." She answered as she looked up at his face. "But I am almost positive that I have not seen your face."

"It's funny, because... I'm sure that I have." The Doctor frowned. "You know, I never know where the faces come from. They just pop up. Zap! Faces like this one. Come on, look at it, have a look."

"My sweet, I am looking. Right now." Lexi assured him.

"Look, it's covered in lines, but I didn't do the frowning. Who frowned me this face? Do you ever look in the mirror and think, 'I've seen that face before?'"

"Can't say that I have, actually. You know, considering the circumstances." She pursed her lips in thought before shrugging. "In fact, I've only been able to look at my new face once so far. Don't know it that well yet."

"Well it's lovely, don't worry yourself." He assured her. "Still, my face is fresh on now, too."

"Okay... So explain to me what you're wondering about." Lexi told him.

"Why this one?" The Doctor started pacing. "Why did I choose... this face? It's like I'm trying to tell myself something, like I'm trying to make a point. But what is so important that I can't just tell myself what I'm thinking?"

"I would try and come up with an answer, but I'm honestly not too sure at the moment." Lexi shook her head, really trying her best to help him. "But for whatever reason, it is your face now."

"Well, I don't like it." The Doctor said bluntly, making Lexi sigh. "Well, it's alright up until the eyebrows, then it just goes haywire. Look at the eyebrows! These are attack eyebrows! You could take bottle tops off with these!"

Lexi couldn't help the grin that started spreading across her face. "Oh, I love you."

"Stop it." The Doctor pointed at her, scowling as he heard her let out a giggle. "Stop laughing, this isn't funny! These are cross eyebrows. They're crosser than the rest of my face. They're independently cross. They probably want to cede from the rest of my face and set up their own independent state of eyebrows."

"Okay, one, this is funny." Lexi sighed as she calmed down from her laughter. "And two, I'd love to see your eyebrows cede from the rest of your face."

"This is a ser–" The Doctor suddenly straightened. "That's Scot..." He murmured. "I am Scottish. I've gone Scottish?"

"Yes, my sweet, you have gone Scottish." She nodded. "I thought you realized that."

"Oh, no, that's good." The Doctor tried it out. "Oh... it's good I'm Scottish. I'm Scottish. I am Scottish. I can complain about things! I can really complain about things now!" He paused. "Well, I suppose you'll still complain about things even though you're English now. It's in your nature."

"Oi, watch it!" Lexi pointed at him. "I may not be Scottish anymore, and I may be six inches shorter than I was, but I can still kick your arse!"

The Doctor smirked at her. "Still a temper." The smirk suddenly dropped from his face as a thought came over him. "Wait, wait, wait." He spun around, and Lexi rolled her eyes as she looked skyward, trying not to groan in frustration. Yeah, sure she was having difficulty adjusting to her new self for the very first time ever. But watching the Doctor adjust to his thirteenth self? A whole different ball game. This new Doctor was reminding Lexi of how stubborn her previous self was. Then again, who knew how stubborn her new self was going to be? After all, everything was new. "I missed something. It was here, it was here, it was... What was it I saw? What did I see?" The Doctor's eyes brightened before he held up a newspaper. "This is what I saw!" He turned back around, showing Lexi. "Spontaneous combustion!"

Lexi frowned as she looked at the title that read ' ** _Fourth Case of Spontaneous Combustion_** '.

~o0o~

 ** _The death of Margaret Roberts occurred on Friday, outside her home address in London, in what the police are describing as a curious case of spontaneous combustion. Mrs Roberts..._**

~o0o~

Lexi's eyes scanned over the article before she looked back up at the Doctor, frowning. "What is this?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "But I probably blame the English."

Lexi just rolled her eyes as she turned away from the Doctor and began walking back to where the horse stood waiting patiently. "What did I tell you just a moment ago?"

"Oh, yes, kick my arse, blah blah blah." The Doctor waved his hand as he followed after his wife. "Where are you going?"

"We're going to get better clothes." She told him as she mounted the horse before patting the space behind her. "You stink, and I don't like wandering around London in my nightie. Now hop on."

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Marguerite's room_...

"Wow." Clara laughed, stumbling a bit as Marguerite manifested the two of them back into the bedroom where she kept her oil-lamp, said oil-lamp sitting in the center of a small table that stood in the center of the nearly empty bedroom. "That was actually bigger on the inside."

"Well, I certainly couldn't fit all of my things in there if it wasn't." Marguerite laughed herself, straightening out the skirt of her long purple and blue dress. "But I take it you enjoyed it, though?"

"Oh, definitely." Clara smiled, nodding before taking the newspaper out from under her arm as she and Marguerite made their way out of the room.

"I'm going to go see if Madame Vastra needs me for anything." Marguerite told her as the two of them came to stand at the top of the stairs. "Will you be alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I'll be fine." Clara waved her off, untying the string that kept the newspaper rolled up. "You go on."

Marguerite just nodded, giving her a small smile before turning and making her way down the stairs, leaving Clara to read the newspaper.

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Conservatory_...

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Jupiter looked up from the small pot of red tulips she was watering before glancing over her shoulder to see Lucas standing just inside the entrance of the conservatory with his arms crossed. "Mindless wondering, is all." She told him before looking back to continue with her task.

"Now, why don't I believe that?" Lucas smirked slightly before uncrossing his arms as he walked further into the room.

"It's none of my business what you do or don't believe." Jupiter responded, not looking at him as she moved on to watering some black and white petunias that were in a pot that was hanging from a hook. "However, it does occur to me to enquire as to what you think about this whole situation."

He nodded slowly as he came to stand next to Jupiter while she continued to water the plants. "Didn't I tell you enough when you and Sky spoke with Clara and I last night?"

"You did say quite a bit, but that was when there were four of us in the room." She pointed out, moving on to another pot of flowers, Lucas following her as she did so. "Now it's just you and me... Is there anything else you might want to add?"

"You're turning this around." Lucas told her. "You're avoiding what I asked you when I came in here."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Jupiter sighed, glancing at him. "It's not just mindless wondering. But do I really need to tell you what it actually is?"

"Not really." Lucas replied as Jupiter went back to watering the plants. "Still, I'm trying to help."

"My parents are missing, simple as that." She spoke as she turned and walked over to a table that had a vase of lilies on top of it. "And I know that really isn't anything worse than some of the things they've been through before, but this time is different... They're different."

"And you're worried about them." He deduced, leaning against the table that supported that vase of lilies Jupiter was watering.

"Of course I am." Jupiter responded before sparing a glance at Lucas. "Aren't you?"

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Studio_...

"Spontaneous combustion." Vastra was saying as Marguerite entered Vastra's studio, lots of natural light shining in through the window as Jenny was posing awkwardly in a corset and shawl.

"Is that like love at first sight?" Jenny asked.

"Hmm, a little." Vastra shrugged. "It is the theory that human beings can, with little or no inducement, simply explode."

"You don't need to flirt with me. We're already married."

"I always love seeing you two this way." Marguerite chuckled, gracefully taking a seat and placing her hands neatly in her lap. "Sometimes makes me wish I could find someone. Then again, if I did, I'd almost certainly outlive them."

"Ever the optimist, Marguerite dear." Vastra sighed before looking back to what she was doing. "Anyway, it's scientific nonsense, of course."

"Marriage?" Jenny frowned.

"Hush." Jenny knitted her eyebrows together, but didn't move from her position as Vastra continued. "There have been nine reported incidents of people apparently exploding in the last month."

"And judging by your tone of voice," Marguerite began, tilting her head with a slight frown. "you don't think they were spontaneous."

"I think whoever killed the dinosaur had at least nine previous victims." Vastra replied as she turned the easel around. "All of these perished in the same spectacular fashion."

Marguerite straightened in her chair a bit, seeing the canvas Vastra had been working on was actually an easel of newspaper clippings, a map of London, and lines linking them. "Not bad, Madame Vastra."

"Do I ever give anything less?" She smirked.

"I thought you were painting me!" Jenny squeaked, no longer posing.

"I was working." Vastra corrected.

"Well, why am I posing then?"

"Well, you brighten the room tremendously. Chin up a little." She said, trying to get her wife to pose again.

Marguerite smiled at the two. "Honestly, you really do look lovely, Jenny."

"Oh, I don't understand why I'm doing this." Jenny mumbled.

"Art?" Vastra raised an eyebrow, Jenny just looking at her as she turned back to the easel. "Now, why destroy the victims so completely? It's difficult. It draws attention." She said as Jenny walked over to join her. "What advantage is to be gained?"

"Maybe it's not that simple." Marguerite chimed in, standing up from the chair she was sitting in before going over to join Vastra and Jenny at the easel. "What if it goes deeper than that? Like it's trying to... hide something. Conceal it."

"Fanciful theory, but I suppose it does fit the facts." Vastra nodded in agreement. "Because if you were to burn the body completely, you would therefore conceal what's missing from it."

"Missing from the body?" Jenny repeated.

Marguerite grinned. "Exactly."

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Conservatory_...

"So does watering these plants help take your mind off of the current situation?" Lucas asked, following Jupiter around the conservatory as she made sure all the plants had the water they needed.

"Not really." Jupiter shrugged, sighing as she set the watering can down next to the vase of lilies on top of the table. "I don't really think anything can."

Lucas tilted his head as he considering the woman before him. "You know... I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

Jupiter raised an eyebrow as she turned towards Lucas. "Like what?"

"This." He gestured at her with his hand. "Sure, I've seen you happy, angry, frustrated... But never worried. At least not like this."

Jupiter let out a small huff as she shook her head, looking down at her feet before looking back up at Lucas. "We're just going around in circles with this conversation, Lucas."

"Hey, I'm just trying to understand you better." He defended himself, holding his hands up a bit.

"Why?" She tilted her head slightly as she gazed up into his eyes. "Why would you want to?"

"Why does anyone want to do anything?" Lucas raised an eyebrow as he gazed down into Jupiter's emerald green eyes that were reminiscent of her father's previous self. "To gain something. To lose something, perhaps. Learn about something that they don't yet understand completely."

"Where's the fun in knowing everything right off the bat? There'd be no surprises along the way." Jupiter shot back, smirking a bit. "But you're not answering what I asked you. Who's avoiding the questions now?"

Lucas rolled his eye, sighing. "You're right."

"About?"

"We are just going around in circles with this conversation."

Jupiter smiled at him. "Why did you come in here, Lucas?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't really think I had any particular intention." He replied, looking up from where he had fixed his gaze on the floor.

"And have you thought of one now?" Jupiter raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know..." He said quietly as stepped closer to her. "Have you ever been really unsure about a situation and didn't... know how to go forth in figuring out a way to... you know, actually make progress?"

"Oh, yeah." She nodded, trying to ignore how close she and Lucas were now standing. "There've been plenty of those moments. But the key is to not let your emotions get the better of you."

"But what if your emotions are the thing that's driving you?" Lucas questioned, putting a hand on her shoulder as he looked her straight in the eye. "What if they're unavoidable?"

"You know, I once went through a situation where I... well, things didn't end all that great." Jupiter told him, giving him a small smile as she put her hand on his arm. "However, there was a silver lining. There's always a silver lining. It may take you a while to find it, but it is there."

"Alright..." Lucas nodded slowly as he took his hand off her shoulder. "That's actually really helpful. Good advice, Jupiter."

"I do my best." She smiled at him, giving his arm a squeeze. "Now, back to the situation at hand... My parents."

"Wait, no, hang on." Lucas said, grabbing her hand as she turned away. "Can we hold off on that for just a minute?"

"Why?" Jupiter sighed in frustration as she turned back to face him.

"Look, this is actually turning out be a lot more difficult than I thought it would be." He told Jupiter as he placed his hand back on her shoulder. "So please, just bear with me."

She sighed. "Lucas, can you make this quick? We really need to start thinking about how to search for my parents. Who knows how long it could take those Paternoster Irregulars to find them?"

"Jupiter..." Lucas said softly, sliding his hand up from her shoulder to cup the side of her face. "Right here, in this moment, do you not think that all of this worrying is getting in the way of... other things?"

Jupiter blinked at the sudden change in mood, swallowing nervously at her and Lucas's close proximity. She took in a breath before speaking, her voice coming out a mere whisper. "What other things?"

"Do you really not know?" He asked softly as he leaned down closer to her, Jupiter closing her eyes in anticipation of what was about to happen.

" _Lucas! Jupiter! Sky!_ " Clara's voice called from somewhere in the house, causing Lucas to stop from moving any further with his lips barely a centimeter away from Jupiter's. " _I think you'll want to see this!_ "

"Oh, what now?" Jupiter sighed before turning and rushing from the room.

Lucas bowed his head. "Damn you, Clara." He muttered before running from the room himself to go and see what all the fuss was about.

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Studio_...

Vastra, Jenny and Marguerite looked away from the easel as Clara ran into the room suddenly, eyes bright, Jupiter right behind her.

"Clara, Jupiter, excellent." Vastra smiled as Lucas and Sky came to a skidding half behind the two women. "Pop your clothes on that chair there."

"Look." Clara turned the newspaper over.

"Advertisements, yes." Vastra made a face. "So many. It's a distressing modern trend."

"No, look." Clara jabbed at one particular ad. "Look!"

Jupiter frowned, snatching the paper from Clara when she saw the ad actually read ' ** _The Impossibles_** ', Lucas and Sky peering over her shoulders to look for themselves.

Jupiter looked up at Vastra. "We're going to need tea."

•••

 _Later_...

"There appears to be nothing of significance in the rest of the newspaper." Vastra shook her head as Strax poured all of them tea a short time later. "Not even in the agony column."

"We can't know it's from the Doctor and the Glorious." Jenny shook her head.

"Well, who else could it have been? It's not from Jupe or I." Sky questioned back. "And besides, they called Clara the Impossible Girl, and they called Lucas the Impossible Man. They are the Couple of Time's Impossibles. It's got to be them."

"They say lunch, but not when or where?" Marguerite frowned.

"'On the other side?'" Jenny checked. "The other side of London? Bit vague."

"The other side of regeneration, perhaps, once they've recovered?" Vastra offered.

Jupiter shook her head. "I'd be surprised if dear ol' Dad could think that straight after regenerating, and even more surprised if Mum could do so herself. You know, considering this is her first time actually doing it. So, if we keep that in mind, they'd want to keep it... simple." Her eyes widened. "As simple as it can be." She muttered as she took the newspaper and flipped it over. "' _...on the other side._ '" She pointed at the restaurant on the other side of the paper, ' ** _Mancini's Family Restaurant_** ', then raised an eyebrow as she glanced over at Lucas and Clara. "I think you've been summoned."


	5. Deep Breath: Part 3

_Inside, Restaurant, Day_...

Clara and Lucas walked into a quiet Mancini's and sat down at a round table with a curved bench, both of them once again looking at the advert.

Lucas raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling a presence beside him. "Well, we're here."

"Yes, I can see that." Lexi nodded once as she and the Doctor sat down.

Clara raised an eyebrow at the Couple of Time as she took note of how both of them were no longer wearing their sleepwear from the previous night, Lexi now wearing a long sleeve grey Victorian gown with her light blonde hair pinned up atop her head and the Doctor now wearing a black classic Victorian suit. "You've changed."

"My wife claimed I smelled." The Doctor shrugged.

Lexi snorted. "He was digging in the rubbish. And I didn't want to go around London in my nightie."

Lucas couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth quirk up in a smile. "I'm starting to see it now."

"You're not cross with us?" The Doctor asked, surprised at the two friends.

"Not cross, per se." Clara said, setting the advert down on the table. "Just... unsure, I think."

Lexi nodded slowly, pursing her lips in thought before she shrugged. "Well, that's better than we thought you'd be."

"Yes, well, your children might've had a hand in it." Lucas told them.

The Doctor smiled slightly at that. "Of course they would."

"By the way, not a bad way to get in contact." Lexi pointed at the ad Clara had set down on the table. "'The Impossibles.'"

Clara frowned. "No, no, no, we didn't place the ad. You placed the ad."

"No, we didn't." The Doctor shook his head.

"Yes, you placed the ad. Jupiter and Sky figured it out. ' _The Impossibles_ '. Aka The Impossible Man and the Impossible Girl. The Couple of Time's Impossibles, see? Lunch."

"No." Lexi shook her head, pointing. "Look, the Impossibles... That is a message _from_ the Impossibles."

" _For_ the Impossibles." Lucas corrected.

"Well, if none of us placed that ad, who placed... that ad?" The Doctor trailed off as he looked out over the room at all the other people. "This could be a trap." He whispered. "It's... it's a vanity trap. We're so busy arguing about solving the puzzle, we don't notice we're sticking our heads in a noose."

Lexi raised an eyebrow as the Doctor plucked a hair from his head. "That's not the only grey one, my sweet, in case you were wondering."

"What, do you have a problem with the grey ones?" He asked as he let it fall.

"Of course I don't." Lexi immediately told him, frowning slightly before glancing at Lucas and Clara. "Do either of you?"

"Well, obviously you don't." Lucas answered. "So I suppose I shouldn't either."

Lexi nodded once before her gaze drifted to Clara. "Clara?"

"I might have, you know, when this whole thing started yesterday." She confessed, lightly tapping her fingers against the top of the table. "But... I have since been made to see that I was probably a bit too quick to judge. And please, can we never talk about this again? 'Cause that was really hard for me to say."

Lexi just gave her a small smile, liking that Clara at least admitted that she may have been a bit wrong in the situation. Still, her and Lucas's hesitancy about it all still remained somewhat troublesome. However, Lexi's thought process was abruptly interrupted when the Doctor suddenly pulled out one of her hairs. "Ow!" She scowled at him.

"Sorry, love." He told her. "It was the only one out of place. I'm sure that you would want it killed."

Clara frowned, eyeing the Doctor as he lined up the blonde hair with the table. "Ooh, are you trying to tell us something?"

"I'm trying to measure the air disturbance in the room."

"Right." She rolled her eyes. "Moments when you know you are boring."

The Doctor let the hair go, watching it drift very slowly to the floor. "There is something extremely wrong with everybody else in this room."

Lexi squinted at him. "Don't you always think that?"

"Look at them, Lex." The Doctor ordered, then quickly added. "Don't look."

"You just said to look." She hissed back.

"Look without looking."

"Okay, are either of you going to tell us what's going on?" Lucas asked quietly as he cut into the conversation.

"Wait..." Lexi muttered before picking up a menu that laid in front of her. "Look... without looking..." She peeked around before quickly going back behind her menu. "How do we get out of this?"

"What are you doing?" Clara whispered.

Lexi peeked at her from behind the menu she still held. "Both you, look. Like, really look. Think about it. Look without actually looking."

The two friends (along with the Doctor) picked up the menus that were in front of them, all of them occasionally peeking around.

"They look fine to me." Clara said. "They're just eating."

"Are they?" The Doctor retorted.

Lucas slowly looked around, eyeing one spoon still full of soup even though it was repeatedly being lifted. "Okay, no. No, they're not."

"Something else they're not doing." The Doctor dropped another one of his hairs, then whispered. "Breathing."

"What do we do?" Clara bent down.

"Well, neither your or Lucas want to eat, do you?" Lexi asked them.

"Mm." Lucas hummed in response. "I think we've slightly lost our appetites."

"How long before they notice we're different?" Clara asked.

"No long." The Doctor replied.

"Then what do we do?"

"How long can you hold your breath?"

"Maybe we could just try casually strolling out of here." Lexi suggested. "You know, like we've changed our minds."

The Doctor nodded. "Happens all the time."

"Ha. 'Course it does."

The four of them stood to leave, only for all the diners to do the same, just like clockwork. The Couple of Time and the Impossibles slowly took a step, and the diners all took steps towards them.

"Let's take another look at the menu, shall we?" Lucas turned back.

"Yeah." Clara quickly agreed, turning around as well.

The Doctor and Lexi joined the duo in sitting, and the other diners did the same and went back to 'eating'.

"What are they?" Lucas asked as he looked at the menu.

"I don't think that's the question we need to be asking." Lexi shook her head as she, the Doctor and Clara picked up menus as well. "What we really need to be thinking about is... What is this restaurant?"

"Okay. What is this restaurant?"

"We don't know." The Doctor answered, Clara sighing as a waiter approached their table. The Doctor nodded at him. "Er, no sausages? Do you...? And there's no pictures either. Do you have a children's menu?" Lucas eyed the green light that shone from the tip of the waiter's pencil onto the Doctor. "Any specials?"

"Liver." The waiter answered.

"I don't like liver."

"Spleen. Brain stem. Eyes."

"Mm." Clara frowned. "Is there a lot of demand for those?"

"I don't think that's the menu." Lexi said absently, tilting her head as she eyed what clearly wasn't actually a pencil in the waiter's hand.

"We are the menu." The Doctor nodded.

"Lungs." The waiter continued. "Skin."

"Excuse me." Lexi quickly stood and leaned over the Doctor as she reached for the waiter's face. She pulled and came away with the skin of a face, revealing metal mesh underneath with a flame behind it.

"Okay." Lucas's eyes widened. "Robot with a mask."

"It's a face." Lexi corrected as she sat back down.

"Yeah, it's very convincing."

"No, it's a face." She insisted, turning in her seat and putting it on top of Lucas's.

"Oh!" Lucas threw it down on the table in disgust.

"Yes." The waiter suddenly said.

"Yes what?" The Doctor frowned, looking away from the 'mask' Lucas had thrown on the table.

"Yes, we have a children's menu."

Metal arms came out of the bench, holding the quartet tightly around their arms and legs that clasped hands together.

The Doctor tilted his head as he looked down at his restraints. "You've got to admire their efficiency."

Lexi sighed. "I think I speak for Lucas and Clara when I say, ' _No._ '"

All four of them then screamed as the bench began descending.

•••

 _Inside, Spaceship_...

The bench stopped in some sort of spaceship, various people standing still in small alcoves. A man was seated in a chair in the center, his back to them.

"Hello?" The Doctor called. "Hello, are you the manager? I demand to speak to the manager!"

"This is not real restaurant, is it?" Clara asked.

"Well, now it's more a sort of automated organ collection station for the unwary diner."

"Basically, think Sweeney Todd without the pies." Lexi added.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Well, isn't this lovely?"

"So where are we now?" Clara asked.

"Factually? An ancient spaceship, probably buried for centuries." The Doctor answered. "Functionally? A larder."

"So why hasn't somebody come for us?"

"We're alive."

"We're alive in a larder."

"Exactly. It's cheaper than freezing us."

"Okay."

Lucas looked down when he felt Lexi fidgeting in her seat next to him. "What are you doing?"

"Ssh." Is all she said just before she was able to wiggle her sonic out from one of the sleeves of her dress and into the palm of her hand. "Ha, success!"

With that, Lexi tossed her sonic over into her other hand before using it on her restraints.

The Doctor smiled slightly as his wife undid his restraints. "You've still got it."

"I should hope so." She winked at him before going and undoing Clara and Lucas's bonds.

"So who are they?" Clara asked as they made their way to one of the alcoves.

The Doctor pulled his sonic out of the coat he was wearing and examined the man in the alcove. "Dormant."

"How do you know?"

"I don't. I'm just hoping."

"So, are these the people who killed the dinosaur?" Lucas looked around warily.

"Well, it's harvesting organs." Lexi pointed out, scanning around with her sonic. "Think about the kind of stuff a dinosaur could offer."

"But why would robots need organs?" Clara asked. "Burke and Hare from space?"

"No, but that's a good theory." The Doctor said. "Droids harvesting spare parts... That rings a bell." He stopped in front of the man in the chair and scowled. "Captain, my Captain."

Lucas tilted his head, seeing that the robot actually only had half of a face. "Can he see us?"

"Dormant."

Lexi raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Hoping?"

"Yep." The Doctor nodded. "Oh, look!" He lifted a wire. "He's recharging. He's asleep." He waved his fingers in front of the half-faced man. "Doesn't even know we're here."

"Are you sure?" Clara asked.

"Sure." The Doctor paused. "Not sure. One or the other."

"Okay." She nodded. "So, half-man, half-robot. A cyborg, yeah?"

Lexi looked down and paused, making a face. "Oh."

"Oh?" Lucas repeated, then looked down as well before swallowing. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh." The Doctor agreed as he, too, looked down at what his wife and Lucas were looking at.

"What are you three talking about?" Clara asked as she looked down. "What oh?"

"Look at the hands." The Doctor told her.

"What about them?"

"Look at them!"

"I'm looking!"

"They don't match." Lexi explained, pointing as she compared them. "They're different sizes. One's bigger, the other more dainty. Two hands that don't belong to the same body."

Clara swallowed. "I don't understand."

"Well, I don't blame you." The Doctor shook his head. "See this? This is not your normal cyborg. This isn't a man turning himself into a robot. This is a robot turning himself into a man piece by piece."

"So that's what the restaurant's for." Lucas nodded in understanding.

"Well, it would need a constant supply of spare parts." The Doctor nodded. "You can tan skin, but organs rot. Some of that metalwork looks Roman. Wonder how long it's been around... how much of the original is even left?"

Lexi squinted as she leaned in a bit closer. "Is it just me, or do these eyeballs look fresh on?"

The cyborg's arms suddenly moved, making the four of them jump back.

"Ah." Clara winced as the hands took hold of the chair arms, the clockwork in his head whirring to life. "Is it awake?"

"It's waking up, I think." The Doctor answered. "Okay, let's go." They tiptoed away from the chair, then ran through one of the doorways into a corridor. "I've seen this before." The Doctor insisted. "I'm missing something."

"Yes, you're missing something. Don't know what it is yet. But that's not important right now." Lexi sighed, grabbing her husband by the arm. "Come on!"

"It's the brand new head, Lex. It's rebooting..."

"Yes, well my head's brand new, too. But you don't see me just standing here waiting to be killed! Now, come on!"

"I've seen this before!"

"Oh, will you both just get out!" Clara and Lucas shouted at the same time, yanking them into the doorway.

The four of them continued running, the Doctor and Lexi taking the lead just before another door slammed shut between them and their companions.

"Doctor, Glorious, quickly!" Clara banged on it.

The Doctor tried using his sonic screwdriver on the door, but it would only open slightly. "Sorry, too slow."

"Get us through!" Lucas gestured between himself and Clara and the door.

Lexi went to try and do so herself, but nothing happened. "I'm so sorry. There's no point in them catching all four of us."

"Well, then, give us your screwdrivers." Clara said impatiently.

"We might need them."

"Glorious?" Lucas's jaw dropped as Lexi dropped the door back before she and the Doctor quickly ran off. Lucas swallowed nervously before looking around, hearing the sound of other cyborgs becoming active. "Okay... We can get out of this."

"Are you just saying that to stop us freaking out?" Clara asked him.

"Take a guess."

"Right." Clara muttered, looking around. "So... what do you think we should do?"

Lucas tried to think, then paused as he remembered what the Doctor had said.

 **~o0o~**

FLASHBACK

 _Inside, Restaurant_...

"Something else they're not doing." The Doctor dropped another one of his hairs, then whispered. "Breathing."

END OF FLASHBACK

 **~o0o~**

 _Inside, Spaceship_...

Lucas's eyes widened. "How long can you hold your breath?"

The two friends looked at each other, then took deep breaths and stood very still. The half-faced man walked to them, paused then turned away. The other cyborgs started heading back as well, Lucas and Clara imitating their walk back to the bright corridor. When they were past, they ran to get out, only to find more robots in their way. Lucas still had a bit of air left to hold in, but Clara suddenly took a deep breath and fell to her knees as she passed out.

"Clara!" Lucas bent down to help her but didn't get very far before something hit him on the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground unconscious.


	6. Deep Breath: Part 4

_Inside, Spaceship, Day_...

Clara woke up on the floor of the spaceship, Lucas still blinking next to her as he groaned.

"Where are the others?" The Half-Face Man asked as Clara looked up at him. "There were two others. Where are they? Where are the others." He aimed at her. "You will tell us, or you will be destroyed."

Clara frowned. "What did you say?"

"You will tell us."

"Yeah, I know, or what?"

"You will die."

Just then, Clara suddenly remembered words a student had said to her on her first day teaching at Coal Hill, a day filled with numerous unruly students. A day when Lucas finally had to pause in teaching his students and come over from his classroom to come in and help settle down Clara's students.

Clara narrowed her eyes at the half-faced man. "Go on, then. Do it." She taunted. "I'm not going to answer any of your questions, so you have to do it. You have to kill me." She smirked. "Threats don't work unless you deliver."

"Yeah." Lucas grinned as he got to his feet. "What she said."

"You will tell us where the other ones are." The Half-Face Man ordered.

"Nope." They shook their heads.

"You will be destroyed."

"Oh, destroy us, then." Lucas rolled his eyes. "And if you don't... well, we won't believe a single threat you make from now on. 'Cause if we're dead, we can't tell you where the other ones went. You need to keep this place down here a secret, don't you? Word of advice, never start with your final sanction." He smirked. "You've got nowhere to go but backwards."

"Humans feel pain."

"Oh, look." Clara gave a mirthless smile. "Bigger threat to smaller threat. That is backwards."

"The information can be extracted by means of your suffering."

"Are you trying to scare us?" Lucas scoffed. "It's going to take a lot more to frighten us when we're already terrified of dying... And believe me, we'll endure a lot pain for a very long time before we give up the information that's keeping us alive." He tilted his head. "How long have you got?"

The clockwork whirred as the Half-Face Man stood.

"All you can offer us is our lives." Clara told him. "What you can't do is threaten them. You can negotiate."

Lucas raised an eyebrow when the Half-Face man removed his big, right hand and clamped it down onto his lapel. "Okay... Maybe a bit frightened now."

"Make that very." Clara clutched onto Lucas's arm tightly. "And if you know anything about human beings, that means you are in a lot of trouble."

"We will not negotiate." The Half-Face Man said, a blowtorch now where his hand once was.

"You don't have a choice." Clara shook her head. "I'll tell you what, we'll answer your questions if you answer ours."

"We will not answer questions."

"An answer for an answer." Lucas said, not backing down. "We'll go first... Why did you kill the dinosaur?"

"We will not answer questions."

"Why did you kill the dinosaur?" Clara repeated.

"We will not answer questions!"

"Then you might as well kill us, because we're not talking again till you do."

The Half-Face Man stared them down before speaking. "Within the optic nerve of the dinosaur is material of use to our computer systems."

"You burned a whole dinosaur for a spare part?" Clara stared at him.

"Wait, hang on." Lucas frowned. "If you know what's in a dinosaur's optic nerve... that means you've them before."

"Where are the other ones?" The Half-Face Man asked.

"How long have you been rebuilding yourselves?" Clara examined him. "Look at the state of you... Is there any real you left? What's the point?"

"We will reach the Promised Land."

Lucas frowned. "The what? What's the Promised Land?"

"Where are the other ones?"

Clara swallowed. "We don't know."

"But we know where they will be." Lucas quickly added as he and Clara backed away. "It's where they will always be."

"If Sky and Jupiter are right and the Doctor and the Glorious are still the Doctor and the Glorious," Clara closed her eyes. "they will have our backs."

"We're right, aren't we?" Lucas asked, closing his eyes as he and Clara reached back expectantly. "Go on. Please, please go on. Say we're right."

Just then, hands suddenly grabbed theirs and pulled them back, the Impossibles grinning as two of the robots pulled their skin off to reveal the Doctor and Lexi.

"Ah, hello, hello, rubbish robots from the dawn of time." The Doctor smirked. "Thank you for all the gratuitous information. Five foot one and six foot two and crying? You never stood a chance."

"We were not crying." Lucas scowled at him. "Oh, ye of little faith."

"You might've been, just a tad." Lexi told him, smiling before she turned to look at the Half-Face man, slapping down his blowtorch hand. "Stop it." She scolded him before putting her sonic in the Half-Face Man's recharger, making the lights go out. "This is your power source, yes? Bit feeble, but I can use it to blow this whole room if I or my husband see one thing we don't like."

"And for me, that includes karaoke and mime. So take no chances." The Doctor pointed at his wife in agreement before glancing at Lucas and Clara as he held up the skin. "See, guys? That's how you disguise yourselves as droids."

Clara scowled. "Yeah, well, we didn't have a lot of time. We'd been suddenly abandoned."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Lexi winced, then paused. "Actually, no we're not. After all, you both are brilliant on adrenaline."

"And you..." The Doctor pointed at the Half-Face man. "were out of your depth, sir. Never try and control a control freak."

"Oh, I know you're not talking about me." Lucas frowned.

Clara narrowed her eyes. "I am not a control freak!"

"Yes, ma'am." The Doctor said dryly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Why are you here?" The Half-Face Man asked.

"Why did you invite us?" The Doctor countered. "The message in the paper. That was you, wasn't it?" He cleared his throat as Lexi slowly took back her sonic. "I hate being wrong in public. Everybody, forget that happened."

"Not a chance." Lexi giggled as she slid her sonic back into the sleeve of her dress. "Clara, Lucas, say the word."

"What word?" They glanced at her.

Lexi smirked at their innocent looks. "The Doctor and I know very well that our children, along with the Paternoster Gang, never would've sent you in here without a word."

Lucas and Clara shared a look, both of them grinning before Clara pressed a finger to her broach and Lucas spoke into one of his cufflinks. "Geronimo!"

From the ceiling came four individuals: a lizard woman, a human woman, a Time Lady and a Time Lord; all four of them in black tactical gear as they rolled down from long pieces of fabric around their waists while a distinct glowing purple mist of a certain human-genie swirled around them. They landed on their feet, drawing swords from scabbards on their backs as Marguerite manifested fully with magical golden energy swirling around her fingertips.

"Remain still and lay down your weapons in the name of the British Empire!" Vastra announced. There was a loud bellow from above, and the last piece of fabric (that was way too short) deposited Strax to the floor.

Jupiter closed her eyes. "We looked so badass until that happened."

"Sorry." Strax got to his feet.

"I've told you before, take the stairs." Jenny hissed.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, look, the cavalry."

"I burned an ancient, beautiful creature for one inch of optic nerve." The Half-Face Man said as he began advancing. "What do you think you can accomplish, little man?"

"What do you think, Vastra?" Lexi tilted her head.

Vastra used her sword to block the Half-Face Man's blowtorch. "The establishment upstairs has been disabled with maximum prejudice, and the authorities summoned."

Clara blinked. "Hang on, she called the police? We never do that."

"Maybe we should start." Lucas thought out loud.

"You see?" The Doctor asked, ignoring the two friends. "Destroy us if you will. They're still going to close your restaurant." Lexi raised an eyebrow, and he sighed. "That was going to sound better."

"Then we will destroy you." The Half-Face Man raised an arm.

The Doctor looked around, seeing every droid had a sword for an arm. "No, you won't. You're logical. You have restraint. You kill to survive. You're not a murderer."

"You do realize that this is a slaughterhouse, right?" Clara frowned.

"And how does that make it different from any other restaurant." The Doctor countered. "You weren't vegetarian last time I checked. This is over. Killing us won't change that. What would be the point?"

"To find the Promised Land." The Half-Face Man answered.

The Doctor frowned. "You're millions of years old. It's Time you knew there isn't one."

"I am in search of paradise."

"Yeah, well, me, too. I found it with Alexis Pond."

Said woman blushed, only to run forward when the Half-Face Man knocked the Doctor down. "Doctor!"

"I will leave in the escape capsule." The Half-Face Man said. "Destroy where necessary."

"Escape capsule?" Marguerite narrowed her eyes, her fingers twitching as she resisted the urge to blast the Half-Face Man with her powers. "This ship is millions of years old. It'll never fly."

"It has been repaired."

"With what?" Jupiter scoffed.

"You."

"Defensive positions, everyone!" Strax barked, and Jupiter and Sky fell in immediately with the Paternoster Gang.

"He's getting away!" Clara and Lucas watched the Half-Face Man back up to the bench.

"Your friends are intelligent." The Half-Face Man shook his head. "They'll know better than to follow me."

Jupiter snickered as the bench rose, the Doctor and Lexi hanging onto brass handles on the underside. "Yeah, wouldn't be too sure about that."

Vastra held her sword in salute to the cyborgs. "It is our intent to leave. If it is your intent to stop us, perhaps we should get down to business."

Jupiter and Sky held out their swords as Marguerite clawed her hands, golden energy and glowing purple mist swirling together around her hands as Clara and Lucas stood back-to-back as they readied to fight as best they could.

•••

 _Inside, Restaurant_...

The Half-Faced Man turned to see the Doctor pouring two glasses of whiskey, Lexi making a face as she lowered her own glass of whiskey away from her mouth. "What are you doing?" The cyborg asked.

"We've got the horrible feeling that we're going to have to kill you." The Doctor shrugged. "Thought you might like a drink first. I know I would." He looked up to see the Half-Face Man go to a control panel in the wall and pull down a small lever. He looked up, hearing a grinding, and watched the roof open. "Fifty-first century, right? Time traveling spaceship crashed in the past. You're trying to get home the long way round."

"I go to the Promised Land." The droid declared.

"Yes, that is what you keep saying." Lexi chimed in, finally looking up from staring down curiously at the glass of whiskey that now strangely tasted horrible to her. "But your restaurant is made out of your old ship, so you're wasting your time. It can't ever fly."

"The escape pod is viable." The Half-Face Man said as the Doctor walked past Lexi and picked up a small bouquet of flowers from another table.

"How?" The Doctor scoffed. "You can't patch up a spaceship with human remains." He frowned. "You know, this really is ringing a bell." The room suddenly shook, making him and Lexi look up to see a large pink balloon above them. "Okay, that's clever. How are you powering it?"

"Skin." The Half-Face Man answered.

•••

 _Inside, Spaceship_...

"How many do you estimate, my dear?" Vastra asked.

"More than upstairs." Jenny looked around as they all fought off the droids. "About twenty, thirty?"

"The ones upstairs were mere decoys, I think." Marguerite stated as she flicked her hand forward, blasting a droid back a good few feet. "These are battle ready."

"A challenge, then." Vastra nodded, looking around.

"Don't worry, my boys." Strax said. "We shall die in glory."

"Good-o!" Lucas rolled his eyes, grunting as he shoved a droid back.

•••

 _Inside, Escape pod_...

The Doctor took a fuse from the control board and read off it as Lexi looked out a window and down at London below. "'SS Marie Antoinette.'" He said. "Out of control repair droids, cannibalizing human beings. I know that this is familiar, but I just can't seem to place it."

"How would you kill me?" The Half-Face Man asked.

"'Sister ship of the Madame De Pompadour.'" The Doctor considered, then shook his head. "No, not getting it." He sniffed the little bouquet of flowers he still held in his hand, then just tossed it over his shoulder.

"How would you kill me?"

"You know, you do repeat yourself a lot." Lexi spoke up, turning away from the window. "Why don't you sit down and have a drink first before we answer?"

"It is only human." The Doctor nodded at his wife as she walked over to them.

"I am not human." The Half-Face Man said.

Lexi smirked as she came to stand beside her husband. "Neither are we."

•••

 _Inside, Spaceship_...

"Marguerite, you'll have to tear them apart!" Jupiter shouted as they fought the clockwork droids, all of them getting back to their feet when they went down.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" Marguerite winced, using her magic on two droids at once.

"Why can't you stay dead, coward?" Strax roared as Sky jumped in front of Clara, swiping his sword at an advancing droid.

•••

 _Inside, Escape pod_...

"What do you think of the view?" The Doctor gestured outside.

"I do not think of it." The Half-Face Man answered.

"I don't think of it." The Doctor scoffed. "I don't. Droids and apostrophes, I could write a book. Except you are barely a droid anymore. There's more human in you than machine. So, tell me, what do you think of the view?"

The Half-Face Man pulled back the net curtain, observing Westminster. "It's beautiful."

"No exactly." Lexi said as she walked up on the other side of the Half-Face Man. "It's just far away. Everything looks a bit too small." She sighed. "Talking from experience, I actually prefer it down there. I mean, everything is huge. So... important. Every little detail, every single moment, every life clung to."

"How could you kill me?"

"For the same reason that you're asking us that question, because you don't really want to carry on." The Doctor answered before walking away, Lexi following him. "What'll happen to the other droids when you die? You're the control node, aren't you? Presumably, they'll deactivate."

"I will not die." The Half-Face Man shook his head. "I will reach the Promised Land."

"There isn't any Promised Land." Lexi sighed, rolling her eyes. "Take it from a former human. It's just... It's a superstition that you have picked up from all the humanity you've stuffed inside yourself."

"I am not dead."

"You are a broom." The Doctor scowled. "Question: you take a broom, you replace the handle, then later you replace the brush, and you do that over and over again. Is it still the same broom? Answer: no, of course is isn't. But you can still sweep the floor." He paused at the look Lexi was giving him. "...Which is not strictly relevant, skip that last part."

Lexi sighed, looking to the Half-Face Man. "The point, is that you've replaced every piece of yourself, mechanical and organic, time and time again. There's really no trace of the original you left." She tilted her head. "Can you even remember where you got that face from?"

Lexi held up one of the silver platters to the Half-Face Man. He took took it, examining his reflection before throwing it onto a table. "It cannot end." He said.

"He has to." The Doctor shook his head. "You know it does." He said before going and opening the doors. "And there's only one way out."

"Self-destruction is against my basic program." The Half-Face Man shook his head.

"And murder... is against ours." The Doctor told him.

Lexi's eyes widened before she ran forward as the Half-Face Man suddenly lunged at the Doctor, hopping and latching herself onto his back as the three of them began struggling in front of the open doors.

•••

 _Inside, Spaceship_...

"Starting to feel a bit tired here!" Lucas warned, resorting to kicking the droids back that he was fighting.

"You're not the only one!" Jupiter panted, jumping back as a droid swiped at her. Marguerite was almost to her knees with how much of her magic she was using, Clara getting fed up and shoving a droid away from Sky as said man used his sword to push back another droid that was coming up behind Clara.

•••

 _Inside, Escape pod_...

"Ow!" Lexi winced as the Half-Face Man stumbled back from a shove the Doctor gave him, causing Lexi to be thrown against the door since she had been latched onto his back to try and pull him away from the Doctor.

"You both are stronger than you look." The Half-Face Man narrowed his eyes.

"And we're hoping you are, too." The Doctor warmed while keeping a concerned eye on Lexi as said woman straightened, her face set in a firm frown. "This is over. Are you capable of admitting that?"

"Do you have to murder me?"

"We don't want to." Lexi told him, cracking her neck. "But those people down there, the species that I come from, they are never small to us."

The Doctor gestured to the planet below. "So don't make assumptions about how far either of us will go to protect them, because I've already come a very long way. And she" He pointed at Lexi. "has spent over nine hundred years of her life doing the exact same thing."

"And, sorry to say," Lexi smiled sadly. "unlike you, I don't think either of us expects to reach the Promised Land."

The Half-Face Man tilted his head, then extinguished his blowtorch, releasing the Doctor, said man backing away to the opposite door as Lexi leaned back against the other one.

"You realize, of course, there is one side of us who is lying about their basic programming." The Doctor told him.

The Half-Face Man paused for a moment before responding. "Yes."

"And I think all three of us know who that is." Lexi said as she pushed off of the door she was leaning against.

•••

 _Inside, Spaceship_...

Abruptly, the droids all bent forward at the waist, winding down before all collapsing to the floor.

"They did it." Clara bent over in relief. "They really did it."

"They always do." Sky responded as they all were able to relax for a moment and recover slightly from the fight they just went through.

•••

 _Inside, Escape pod_...

The Doctor and Lexi looked out upon the spire at the top of Big Ben, the Half-Face Man impaled on top.

"So this is how it ends." Lexi remarked softly, leaning her head against the door as she looked out. "We saved everyone."

"Never going to stop either." The Doctor said, glancing at her. "Our Impossibles, they've... sort of changed their minds."

"And apparently Sky and Jupiter are the reason for that." She nodded before finally looking at him. "What do you think? Do you like what you see?"

"Honestly, I couldn't care less what you look like. It's still you... I still see you." He told her before looking back out the doors and back down at the Half-Face Man, trying to look disinterested for what he was about to ask. "You've seen all my faces, Lex. How does it feel to actually see the change in person?"

Lexi raised her eyebrows as she continued to look at him staring out the doors. "Have you not realized that I am now older than you were when we first met?" She questioned. "For however long you have that face, I won't and will never care that you look older. I mean, do you really care that I look like I'm twenty years younger than you?"

The Doctor snorted, smirking. "No."

"Oi." Lexi smacked him on the arm, grinning. "Stop it."

"You asked." He chuckled as they headed back inside. The Doctor suddenly paused, though, when a thought occurred to him. "I just realized something."

"Oh, no, that's never a good thing." Lexi rolled her eyes playfully.

"I'm serious." The Doctor said as they turned towards each other. "This is so very important, that all of time and space might just implode if I don't do this right now."

Lexi tilted her head. "What are you ta–"

She was cut off as she felt his hand on her cheek, then looked up just in time for him to kiss her softly. Not being able to help herself, she smile into the kiss as she slid her hand up his chest, resting it on his shoulder while wrapping her other arm around his neck.

The Doctor gently pulled back and smiled down at her. "With everything going on... hadn't been able to properly kiss you."

"Well, you best start making it up to me." She grinned, a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, I definitely can." He smirked, offering her his hand. She took it with a grin, the Doctor leaning down and whispering in her ear. "Geronimo."

•••

 _Outside, Courtyard_...

"Whoa!" Strax called as he brought the carriage to a stop, Marguerite manifesting from her glowing purple mist as Vastra, Jenny, Clara, Lucas and the time twins all climbed out of the carriage.

"You're sure they'd come back here?" Jenny frowned.

"There's no trace of them in the wreckage." Vastra shook her head. "They searched all Parliament Hill. Where else would they go?"

"Well, here." Jupiter pursed her lips in thought as she scanned the environment before her gaze stopped on a particular spot on the ground. "And then not here."

Everyone looked to where Jupiter was looking, seeing there was an obvious square spot in the straw where the TARDIS had been... and now there was no TARDIS.

"I fear we have missed them." Vastra tilted her head.

Clara's shoulders slumped as Lucas sighed dejectedly, but Sky shook his head. "They'll come back." He said surely. "They always will."

"They care about you both so much." Jupiter said as she took Lucas's and Clara's hands, making them look at her. "And I'm pretty sure they wouldn't leave me and Sky here."

Lucas let out a chuckle. "No, I s'pose they wouldn't."

"Patience." Sky told them, putting a hand on Clara's shoulder. "That's all we need."

"Right." Clara took a deep breath, nodding as she reached and gave the hand Sky held on her shoulder a squeeze. "Patience."


	7. Deep Breath: Part 5 - FINAL

_Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Study, Day_...

"Are we going to talk about earlier at all?" Lucas asked, watching as Jupiter tidied up the desk, straightening things out.

"There's nothing to talk about." She replied, not looking at Lucas as she went and put a book back on one of the shelves.

"Do you really believe that?" Lucas questioned her. "Or are you just trying to make yourself believe your own words?"

Jupiter turned to back to look at him, opening her mouth to reply just before the door to the study opened, Clara and Sky poking their heads in and effectively silencing Jupiter from saying anything else.

Clara raised an eyebrow at two of them. "Are we interrupting?"

"Not at all." Jupiter quickly assured as she and Lucas turned to them. "What's up?"

"Thought maybe we should go talk to Vastra." Sky told them.

Jupiter nodded. "Good idea." She said as she and Lucas followed them out of the room.

•••

 _Inside, Vastra and Jenny's house, Conservatory_...

Vastra looked up when there was a knock at the door, seeing Jupiter, Lucas, Clara and Sky all back in their regular clothes. "Please come in." She told them.

Clara and Jupiter entered the room along with Lucas and Sky. "We're not interrupting?" Clara asked.

"I should be glad of your company." Vastra shook her head, gesturing for them to sit. "What can I do for you?"

"Well..." Clara began as they did. "Until the TARDIS comes back, none of us being quite sure of when exactly that will be, we're stuck here. Got any vacancies?"

"You would be very welcome to join our little household, all of you." Vastra gave them a smile. "But I have it on the highest authority that the Time Lords will be returning for you very soon."

"Whose authority?" Lucas asked, frowning slightly.

"Well, the people that know them best in all the universe."

"And these people would be...?"

Vastra smirked. "Mister Lucas Harper, Miss Clara Oswald, and the Twins of Time: Skyler and Jupiter Pond. All of whom perhaps have, by instinct, already dressed to leave."

"Can't help but hope while we exercise our patience." Clara shrugged half-heartedly. "Still not sure who the Doctor and the Glorious are anymore."

Vastra held up a finger, hearing the sound wheezing, then smiled. "It would seem, my dear, you are very wrong about that. Give them hell. They'll always need it."

"I don't think we ever stop." Jupiter smirked as she, Clara, Lucas and Sky all got to their feet.

"Thank you, Madame Vastra." Sky added.

"It was a pleasure seeing all of you again." Vastra nodded before she watched them make their way out of the room.

"Jupiter." Marguerite said, entering the room just as Jupiter was leaving, Lucas, Sky and Clara going on ahead. "Here are your parents' wedding rings."

"Oh, thank you so much." Jupiter told her as the rings were placed into the palm of her hand. "All fixed?"

"Yeah." She nodded with a small smile before Jupiter turned to continue on her way. "But there's actually one little thing I should tell you."

Jupiter paused and glanced back at Marguerite, raising a curious eyebrow.

"And what would that be?"

•••

 _Outside, Courtyard_...

Sky smiled as he inspected the TARDIS. "All better now, Idris."

Said box let out a hum of agreement just as Jupiter caught up with them.

Coming to a stop, Jupiter looked back and forth between the Impossibles and the TARDIS. "Well, go on. You two have the honors."

Lucas and Clara shared a look before they stepped forward, both of them pushing the doors open together.

•••

 _Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

The two friends paused at the sound of Beethoven's ' _Moonlight Sonata_ ' as it flowed throughout the room, making them look up to see a certain someone on the upper level as she sat behind a beautiful and shiny black grand piano that seemed to be in its own little nook.

Lexi paused in her playing and looked up at the sound of the companions' entrance. She smiled at them. "Hello."

"I didn't know that you played." Lucas remarked, nodding at the piano as he and Clara walked further into the console room, Sky and Jupiter shutting the doors behind them.

"Neither did I." Lexi chuckled softly, looking down at her fingers that rested on top of the ivory keys. "I didn't used to, but now the knowledge is just sort of... there."

Clara nodded absently as she looked around at the room, taking note of the various changes. "I see you've redecorated."

"Yes." The Doctor suddenly spoke up, turning around in the leather chair that was placed next to where Lexi's piano was. "We have."

"I don't like it."

"Not completely convinced myself." The Doctor told her as he got to his feet. "I think there could be more round things on the walls. We used to have a lot of round things. I wonder where I put them."

"Don't pay attention to him, Idris." Lexi said as she stood up from the shiny black bench that stood behind the piano. "You're still gorgeous."

"She is actually very pretty." Lucas agreed, looking around.

The new console room wasn't much different from the last TARDIS's design, with a straight-forward console and some round things on the walls. The upper level was a bit bigger to accommodate Lexi's piano; and the walls were also lined with numerous bookcases, a wooden desk and a chalkboard as well as a podium.

"And the clothes?" Clara raised an eyebrow, eyeing the new outfits the duo now wore.

The Couple of Time looked down at the ensembles they had chosen, then grinned. The Doctor had chosen to wear a white collared shirt and dark blue Crombie coat with red lining, dark blue trousers, and black boots that looked a little similar to what his previous self had worn. Lexi, in comparison, had chosen a black thick-strap tank top and red leather biker jacket, dark blue skinny jeans, black leather combat boots, her DG necklace around her neck, and her light blonde hair softly curled with the ends just barely brushing her shoulders. And, as her own (literally) true personal touch, Lexi now also wore the TARDIS blue knitted fingerless gloves that her previous self had knitted at the end of her and the previous Doctor's stay on Trenzalore.

"I'm the Doctor." The Doctor told them as he Lexi slowly walked down the steps together towards where their companions and children were. "I've lived for over two thousand years, and not all of them were good."

"But some of them were great." Lexi added, rounding the console to come face-to-face with the Impossibles and the time twins. "I don't have many regrets because you help make me better."

"I, however, do have a lot of regrets because of the many mistakes that I've made." The Doctor told them as he came to stand behind Lexi, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Lexi smiled, glancing back over her shoulder at him. "Don't you think it's time you did something about that?"

"Er, a thing." Jupiter spoke up, the Doctor and Lexi looking to her as she pulled their wedding rings from her jacket pocket. "Marguerite fixed these so they'd fit you again, you know, if you still want them."

"Of course we still want them." Lexi couldn't help but smile as Jupiter handed them their rings; the Doctor taking Lexi's and sliding them onto her left ring finger, and Lexi taking the Doctor's wedding band and sliding it onto his left ring finger.

"No matter what we look like, we always will have these." The Doctor gave Lexi's hand a squeeze before they looked back to everyone.

"There's also... something else." Jupiter informed them, biting her bottom lip slightly. "Apparently, Marguerite put a sort of... spell on the rings. Like a charm, if you will. The sizes will change with your bodies when you regenerate."

"Ooh, efficient." Lexi pursed her lips, nodding as she held her hand out to gaze at her sapphire 'engagement' ring and wedding band.

"There's something we never figured out, though." Lucas chimed in, raising his hand. "Who put that advert in the paper?"

"Better question," The Doctor began as he turned towards the console before pulling a lever, putting the TARDIS in motion before turning back to Lucas and Clara. "Who gave you our number?"

"What?" Clara blinked.

"Remember, a long time ago? You were given the number of a computer helpline, and you ended up phoning the TARDIS." Lexi nodded. "Who gave you that number?"

"The woman." Lucas recalled. "The woman in the shop."

The Couple of Time exchanged glances. "Then there's a woman out there who's very keen that we all stay together." The Doctor looked over at Clara and Lucas, the TARDIS making a noise as it landed somewhere. "How do you both feel on the subject?"

Clara and Lucas looked to Sky and Jupiter, who both seemed just as eager to hear their answers.

"Well, it's not like we're going anywhere." Jupiter laughed, smiling at them. "Now, come on, please tell us."

The two friends shared a look, taking deep breaths before-

Clara's phone suddenly started ringing.

The Doctor smirked. "You might want to get that."

Clara frowned, taking a look at her phone. Her frowned deepened before she headed towards the TARDIS doors. "One moment."

"Maybe you should go as well, Lucas." Lexi suggested, smiling a bit.

Said man looked at her curiously before quickly going to follow Clara out the doors.

The Twins of Time looked at their parents once it was just the four of them. "What did you do?"

•••

 _Outside, Street_...

Clara, followed by Lucas, stepped out of the TARDIS and stepped out of the way of pedestrians as she answered the call, Lucas watching her from a couple feet away. "Hello... Hello?"

" _It's me._ " A familiar voice said.

"Yes, it's you." She said, frowning slightly. "Who's this?"

" _It's me, Clara._ " The voice said again. " _The Doctor._ "

Clara's frown deepened. "What do you mean, the Doctor?"

 **~o0o~**

 _Trenzalore, Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

The Eleventh Doctor sat on the floor as he sat back against the door with the phone pressed between his ear and shoulder.

"I'm phoning you from Trenzalore." He said tiredly.

 **~o0o~**

 _Outside, Street_...

Clara sucked in a breath. "I don't..."

" _...from before Lex and I changed._ "

Lucas squinted as he looked at the shocked expression on his best friend's face. "Clara, who is that?"

" _I mean it's all still to happen for us, it's coming. Oh, it's a-coming..._ " Eleven's voice said into Clara's ear as she stared at Lucas. " _Not long now._ "

Clara sniffled, looking back down away from Lucas and returning her attention to the phone call. "Where's the Glorious?"

 **~o0o~**

 _Trenzalore, Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

Eleven chuckled softly, breathing slightly heavy. "She had something to take care of herself."

 **~o0o~**

 _Outside, Street_...

Clara held her phone to her chest, fighting back tears. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Why? Why would you do this?"

" _Because I think it's going to be a whopper. And I think you might be scared._ " He said before adding. " _But however scared you are, Clara, the two you and Lucas are with, the two that I hope you are with right now, they're more likely more scared than anything you can imagine right now. And they... they need you._ "

Clara glanced over Lucas's shoulder, said man turning around to the see the Family of Time standing by the open TARDIS door.

"So who is it?" The Twelfth Doctor questioned.

" _Is that the Doctor?_ " The Eleventh asked.

"Is that the Doctor?" The Twelfth Doctor echoed.

 **~o0o~**

 _Trenzalore, Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

" _Yes._ " Clara's voice told Eleven.

"He sounds old." The Eleventh Doctor complained. "Please tell me I didn't get old. Anything but old." He could hear Clara giggle through her tears. "I was young." He grumbled. "Oh... Is he grey?"

 **~o0o~**

 _Outside, Street_...

"Yes." Clara answered, smiling. "The Glorious doesn't seem to mind, though."

" _Sounds like her._ " Eleven remarked, breathing in. " _Speaking of... How is she?_ "

"Brilliant, as usual." Clara sniffled, smiling slightly at the fact that he was actually asking about his wife's new incarnation. "Where is she, again? You never said."

 **~o0o~**

 _Trenzalore, Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

"Clara, please, just..." Eleven said, ignoring her question. "for me, help them. You and Lucas... help them. And don't be afraid." He said to her before pausing. "Oh, and tell Lucas to answer his phone." He told her before smiling a bit. "Goodbye, Clara."

 **~o0o~**

 _Outside, Street_...

" _Miss ya._ " The Eleventh Doctor added.

Clara ended the call and wiped her tears before looking to Lucas.

"What the hell was that?" He asked her seriously, taking a step forward.

Clara opened her mouth to respond to him, but was cut off by the sound of Lucas's phone ringing.

Said man frowned, pulling his phone from his back pocket. He looked at the caller ID before slowly looking to Lexi.

"You and Clara are very popular people today, aren't you?" Lexi asked him, winking. "Now, go on. Don't keep your caller _waiting_."

Lucas frowned at her before walking a few paces away as he answered, pressing his phone to his ear. "Hello?"

" _Hello, Impossible Man._ " A familiar Scottish voice greeted, making Lucas suck in a breath.

"Is this who I think it is?" He asked softly.

 **~o0o~**

 _Trenzalore, Outside, Street_...

Lexi 1.0/the First Glorious chuckled softly as she sat on the snowy ground, her back against the back of the TARDIS as she held her phone in between her ear and shoulder. "It is, Lucas. It really is."

" _I don't understand._ "

"Oh, of course you do." She sighed, tucking a strand of her long red hair behind her ear. "Think about it. Really think."

 **~o0o~**

 _Outside, Street_...

Lucas glanced back at Lexi 2.0/the Second Glorious and the Twelfth Doctor as they stood with Sky and Jupiter over by the TARDIS before he turned away and spoke into his phone again. "You're phoning me from Trenzalore, aren't you?"

Lexi 1.0 chuckled sadly. " _See? I knew you were a clever one._ "

 **~o0o~**

 _Trenzalore, Outside, Street_...

"I am phoning you from Trenzalore, just before the Doctor and I changed." She told him, leaning her head back against the back of the TARDIS. "The Doctor's actually in the console room right now, making a phone call to Clara. How is she, by the way?"

" _She's actually standing a few feet away, staring at me._ " Lucas's voice replied. " _Probably wondering the same things I was when she received her phone call... You and the Doctor really think ahead, don't you?_ "

Lexi 1.0 giggled. "I suppose we do."

 **~o0o~**

 _Outside, Street_...

" _How are Jupiter and Sky taking things?_ " She asked.

Lucas glanced back to Jupiter and Sky standing with their parents, watching him expectantly as he turned back away from them. "Really well. But I suppose they would, you know, given who they are."

" _Good._ "

Lexi 2.0 smirked before calling over to Lucas. "Is that the Glorious?"

" _Is that the Glorious?_ " Lexi 1.0's voice echoed.

"Yes." Lucas answered.

 **~o0o~**

 _Trenzalore, Outside, Street_...

"Please tell me I didn't go English!" Lexi 1.0 thumped her head back against the back of the TARDIS, wincing when she did so. "I was a fiery, red headed Scot."

" _Yes, well, now you're a fiery, blonde Englishwoman._ "

"Blonde, really?" Lexi 1.0 straightened. "What about the Doctor?"

" _Yeah._ " He answered. " _And the Doctor's taken after you and gone Scottish, but with grey hair._ "

 **~o0o~**

 _Outside, Street_...

" _Well, I suppose blondes do have more fun. And a Scottish silver fox. Mm..._ " She hummed, making Lucas chuckle as he looked down at the ground. " _Anyway, never mind that, serious time now. There really is a point to this conversation, Lucas. I need you to really listen to these next words. Okay? Really, carefully, listen to them._ "

 **~o0o~**

 _Trenzalore, Outside, Street_...

" _...Okay._ "

Lexi 1.0 took a deep breath as she leaned back against the back of the TARDIS. "You are my Impossible Man... I know you and Clara are probably unsure of who the Doctor and I've become, and that's okay." She assured him, closing her eyes for a moment. "But the two people you and Clara are with, the two people that I hope you are with, they are scared. Both of them are. But me? She's really, really scared. She's never done this before, and she is terrified."

 **~o0o~**

 _Outside, Street_...

" _...She won't say it out loud._ " Lexi 1.0's voice said as Lucas glanced back at Lexi 2.0, said woman giving him a wary smile. " _She's going to try and hide it, but she needs to know that you'll be there for her._ " Lucas turned away again, listening as he heard Lexi 1.0 take in another breath. " _She may have the Doctor, and Sky and Jupiter. But the Doctor's going through this process as well for himself, and Sky and Jupiter aren't always around._ "

 **~o0o~**

 _Trenzalore, Outside, Street_...

"She needs her friend." Lexi 1.0 clutched her phone tighter. "The person she can talk to when she feels like she can't talk to anyone else. The person who can make her laugh when everything around her is falling apart." She sniffled, fighting back tears. "She needs her lifesaver Lucas Harper... She needs _you_."

 **~o0o~**

 _Outside, Street_...

" _And if you choose to stay, say you'll hold onto everything, all of it, for as long as you can._ " Lexi 1.0 told him, her voice cracking. " _Promise me that._ "

Lucas took a deep breath, closing his for a moment before he whispered. "I promise."

" _Good._ " She said softly, a sad smile evident in her tone. " _Goodbye, Lucas... Miss you already._ "

Lucas sniffled, swallowing down his emotions as he ended the phone call.

"Well?" The Doctor tilted his head.

"Well what?" Clara asked as she and Lucas turned to them.

"They did ask you questions." Lexi shrugged. "Will you help us?"

"You shouldn't have been listening." Lucas accused, but the corners of his mouth were quirked up.

"We didn't have to." The Doctor shook his head slightly. "That was us talking."

"Please, say that you can see us." Lexi pleaded. "That may have been us on the phone, but we're also right here in front of you now."

"We'll be there as often as we can." Jupiter assured the two friends.

"But there will be times when you'll have to deal with things yourselves." Sky added.

"Please. We're standing right here." The Doctor told them, pointing at himself while also pointing at Lexi. "Please, just... just see us."

The Impossibles slowly walked over to them, studying their faces.

Clara smiled. "Thank you."

"For what?" Lexi raised an eyebrow.

Lucas gave her a smile of his own. "Phoning."

The Doctor and Lexi stumbled back as their respective companions enveloped them in big hugs, the Doctor not quite knowing what to do with his hands while Lexi laughed, wrapping her arms around Lucas as he lifted her slightly off the ground with the force of his hug.

"I... I don't think that I'm a hugging person now." The Doctor managed as he held his hands out behind Clara's back.

Lexi pulled away from Lucas slightly, glancing over at her husband with a raised eyebrow. "What was that?"

"Well, except for you."

"That's better."

"I'm not sure you get a vote." Clara smirked, releasing him.

"Nope, he doesn't." Lexi agreed as she pulled away from Lucas.

"Why are you ganging up on me all of a sudden?" The Doctor frowned.

"It's funny, mate." Lucas chuckled.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Clara giggled before looking around at where all of them were. "Where exactly are we?"

Sky sniffed the air. "Glasgow, definitely."

"Ah." Clara smiled. "You and the Doctor will fit right in. Scottish."

"Right." Jupiter smiled, shaking her head. "Does anyone want to grab a bite to eat while we're here?"

"Chips and coffee?" Lexi suggested.

"Sounds divine." Clara sighed, liking the sound of that as the six of them started down the pavement. "Lucas is buying."

"Hey!" Lucas scowled, Clara laughing at his expression.

"Oh, come on." Jupiter giggled before grabbing Lucas by the arm and tugging him ahead, Clara and Sky laughing as they went to catch up with them.

"I think we'll be okay." Lexi commented quietly, taking the Doctor's hand.

The Doctor gripped her hand a little tighter in his as they followed after their companions and children.

"Yes, love, I do believe we will be."

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it!**

 **I seriously hope you enjoyed it, and I'm sorry it took so long to get it published. ️**

 **Anyway, tell me what you think! I really do want to know your thoughts.**

 **What do you think about Lexi 2.0 being able to play the piano? And about how she has a grand piano in her own little nook of the console room? I thought it would be fun to make this Couple of Time kind of musically, you know, since 12 plays the electric guitar.**

 **Oh, another thing, do you like the description of Lexi 2.0's outfit?**

 **Anyway, here are some of my thoughts...**

 **• _Jucas_ (Jupiter and Lucas) is starting to come alive, as you probably noticed, and may become an actual thing sometime this series.**

 **• This episode was an absolute blast to write. :) I'm already loving _Evaldi_ , and this is just their first episode. ;)**

 **• I'm already thinking ahead to episodes like " _Robot of Sherwood_ " (that's gonna be hilarious ), " _Time Heist_ " (that's gonna be badass ), " _The Caretaker_ " (I've got some surprises for that ), " _Kill the Moon_ " (that's gonna be one that I think will have a lot of you mad at me ), " _Mummy on the Orient Express_ " (a mystery will begin for one of our characters ), " _In the Forest of the Night_ " (that's gonna be an interesting one as well ), and then the two part series 8 finale " _Dark Water_ " and " _Death in Heaven_ " are going to be episodes where some serious sh*t goes down...**

 **Basically all of our characters are going to be going through A LOT of stuff this series. *grins evilly***

 **I hope I've intrigued you more.**

 **Now, I think that's all I have to say for the time being. So, I suppose I shall depart from y'all for now.**

 **There's a very special little filler chapter coming up next! And I think it's one that y'all will definitely want to read...**

 **Until then!**

 **💋 _Love always,_**

 _ **~Maddy**_


	8. The Promised Land

**A/N: Hello, everyone! *waves***

 **I've been really excited to publish this particular chapter for all of you. And, if the gif above is any clue, you might be able to guess why.**

 **I am introducing a couple of new people in this chapter. One of them you know, the other you will get to know.**

 **So... here they are!**

 **~o0o~**

INTRODUCING...

 **Michelle Gomez** as _Missy_

 **Sebastian Roché** as _Kasimir_

 **~o0o~**

 **Yes! Mister Roché is going to be portraying the mysterious character that was briefly mentioned in this book's summary.**

 **Anyway, I won't keep you waiting anymore. I give you... " _The Promised Land_ ".**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Outside, Garden_...

The Half-Face Man woke and sat up, putting his top hat back on before looking to his left and seeing a woman sitting on the edge of a fountain that was in the middle of beautiful lush garden. The woman herself was looking very proper in full Edwardian garb - a dark dress, and a tie. She actually looked very similar to Mary Poppins.

"Hello!" The woman greeted cheerfully after noticing the Half-Face Man had awoken. "I'm Missy." She smiled as she stood up from the edge of the fountain. "You made it." She said as she walked over and joined him on the porch. "I hope my boyfriend wasn't too mean to you."

The Half-Face Man turned his head to look at her. "Boy... friend?"

Missy smiled as she took his hand and guided him so sit. "Now did he push you out of that thing, or did you fall? Couldn't really tell. He can be very mean sometimes." She pat his hand. "Except to me, of course, because he..." She smirked. "loves me so much... I do like his new accent, though. Think I might keep it."

"And that wife of his... She really is something, isn't she?" A man's voice commented, the Half-Face Man turning his head to see a man (as if from nowhere) leaning against one of the stone pillars of the porch with his arms crossed as he stared out at the garden. The man himself was wearing something that looked like it was straight out of the Roaring Twenties; with a white suit jacket and trousers, a brown vest over a light blue button up shirt, a yellow tie, and a white hat. Basically, think Jay Gatsby with a fedora. The man smirked slightly. "I see great things in her future..."

"Ah, my dear Kasimir." Missy grinned. "So lovely of you to join us."

"Well, our new arrival should be welcomed properly." He responded, glancing at her. "Do you not think he is a bad influence on her?"

"I do." Missy agreed before pouting slightly. "But she seems to like it."

"I agree." Kasimir nodded, uncrossing his arms. "Then again, she hasn't met me yet."

Missy grinned at that. "Oh, I do so look forward to seeing how he handles you stealing her away."

"What a glorious day that will be." Kasimir chuckled slightly before sighing. "However, we do still have a ways to go until then."

The Half-Face Man turned his head away from Kasimir to look at Missy. "Where am I?"

"Well, where do you think you are?" Missy countered, smiling.

"If you really look around you, you'll see that you've made it." Kasimir said as he pushed off the stone pillar before going over and holding out a hand for Missy to stand. "'Tis paradise."

"Or, if you prefer," Missy began, smiling as she took Kasimir's hand and stood from her chair. "the Promised Land."

Kasimir and Missy walked down the steps of the porch together and out to the fountain.

"Welcome... to Heaven."

Kasimir smirked as he took Missy's hand while putting his other one at her waist, Missy putting her free hand on Kasimir's shoulder before the two of them began doing a waltz around the garden.

* * *

 **A/N: What do you think...? *gives you a hopeful look***

 **I do really hope you liked this. And I really do hope that you like Kasimir so far, because I have plans for him. It'll take time to actually get to those plans, but it will be worth it.**

 **Btw, I didn't actually get the idea for Kasimir until a bit before I wrote " _The Day of the Doctor_ ". He kinda just popped into my head one day and I couldn't stop thinking about him. So... voila! I chose Sebastian Roché for Kasimir's face-claim because one: he portrayed Balthazar on Supernatural, and two: I've just really been wanting to use him as a face-claim for an OC for the longest time. I just could never find an OC that I felt was right for him. But when I thought of Kasimir, it was like a lightbulb went off.**

 **Anyway... I hope you like everything so far! We've got another filler chapter coming up next, so be on the lookout for that!**

 **Until then!**

 **💋 _Love always,_**

 _ **~Maddy**_


	9. Evaldi Has Risen

**A/N: Hello, lovelies!**

 **I'm happy to see that y'all liked " _Deep Breath_ " and " _The Promised Land_ ". Both of which were fun to write.**

 **Anyway, I won't say too much of what this chapter is about. However, what I will say is that it's filled with loads of Evaldi goodness (as evidenced by this chapter's title).**

 **Enjoy! 😘**

* * *

 _Inside, TARDIS, Jupiter's bedroom_...

"Which one? The green or the yellow?" Jupiter asked as she held up a mint green, knee-length empire waist dress with elbow-length sleeves in one hand; while holding up a lemon yellow, mid-thigh length silk chiffon dress with cap sleeves in the other hand. "I mean, either one will work. But, I thought I'd get your opinion."

"To be honest, I like the yellow one." Lexi told her daughter, pointing at the yellow dress from where she was looking at Jupiter upside down as she laid at the end of her bed. "It really brings out the redness of your hair, which brings out the greenness of your eyes."

"So you're saying yellow is more my color?" She raised an eyebrow, holding up the yellow dress a bit more to examine it.

"Oh, yeah." Lexi nodded, rolling over to be on her stomach, her blonde hair falling in her face as she did so. "I mean, you look lovely in most colors, my dear. But yellow especially."

Jupiter pursed her lips, nodding after a moment's consideration before walking back into her closet to change. "Do you miss it, Mum?" She called to Lexi from inside the closet.

"Miss what?" She questioned back as she propped herself up on her elbows on Jupiter's bed, resting her chin in her hands.

"Being a ginger. Being Scottish." Jupiter replied as she re-emerged from her closet, now wearing the yellow dress as she walked to the other side of her room where her full-length mirror stood. "You know, that sort of thing."

"Well, I may miss being ginger a bit. I mean, I was one for over nine hundred years. So I guess you could say I got used to it." Lexi explained as she sat up on her knees, resting her hands in her lap. "And as for if I miss being Scottish... well, to me... I still am. I mean, I may not sound like it anymore, but I still feel like it in my hearts and in my mind..."

Not turning around, Jupiter looked at her mother through the full-length mirror, taking note of the far off look in her eyes.

"Mum, are you alright?" She asked her, smoothing down the crinkles in her dress before actually turning back around towards her mother. "You seem distant."

"...Just thinking." She replied after a moment of silence, shaking her head as she swung her legs over the side of the bed as she went to stand up. "It's nothing bad, or anything. At least I don't think it is. I just... don't know a whole lot about myself now. Like, I know certain things, such as how I feel towards the way I now sound, the way I now look, the fact that I now know how to play the piano. But, I don't know things, such as what all I like to drink or what all I like to eat. You know, there's just a few things that I don't have figured out yet... It's all new."

"Aw, I want to help you." Jupiter pouted slightly as Lexi walked over to her before fixing a few of her hairs that were out of place.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Lexi waved her off, smiling a bit as she tucked a strand of her daughter's red hair behind her ear. "You and Sky have somewhere to be anyway."

"Yeah." She sighed before going back over into her closet to grab a pair of heels that would match her dress.

"Now don't get too crazy when you go to this thing." Lexi warned, taking and putting back on her red leather biker jacket that she had draped over the back of Jupiter's desk chair.

"It's a hen party, Mum." Jupiter responded as she walked back out of her closet, now wearing a pair of heels that matched her lemon yellow dress. "It's bound to get a little crazy."

"No, no, a little crazy is good." Lexi smiled. "Too crazy? Now that could be trouble."

"It's for me and Sky's goddaughter. And if you've forgotten, Seraphina is heir to the British throne in the early twenty-third century. I think I'll be fine." Jupiter told her, looking herself over in the full-length mirror one last time. "Sky's the one that should be looked after. He's going to Seraphina's fiancé's stag night."

Lexi let out a laugh. "I do worry about your brother, but I think he's pretty capable. Just like you." She said as they walked to the bedroom door. "As long as you two make it back here to the TARDIS in one piece, it's fine."

"I think we'll be able to manage." She giggled as the two of the them walked out into the corridor. "Where are you going off to now?"

"I think... I think I'll go and find a lounge room." Lexi said, tilting her head slightly as she thought. "Maybe practice a bit of mixology, you know, that way I might be able to figure out a drink that I'll actually like now that whiskey apparently tastes horrible to me."

"Well, I wish you luck."' Jupiter laughed, giving her mother a quick hug before pulling away.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Lexi called to her daughter as they walked in opposite directions of each other down the corridor.

"That doesn't really narrow it down!" Jupiter shouted back.

"Hey!" Lexi exclaimed, only hearing her daughter's laugh in response as it faded down the corridor. Lexi just shook her head, sighing as she rounded a corner. "Okay... Now, lounge room."

•••

 _Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

"Alright, Sky, let's get going." Jupiter said, checking her phone as she walked down a set of steps to the console. "Are you ready?"

"Yep." Sky nodded as he straightened out the dark blue blazer he was wearing, paired with a nice black T-shirt and jeans. "The year 2224, right?"

"Yes. The sixth of August, I believe." She nodded, taking the vortex manipulator her brother held out to her before typing in the coordinates.

"I would say not to go too mad at this thing, but it's stag and hen parties." The Doctor said as he turned around from looking through a bookcase. "So there's really no point, is there?"

"S'what I said to Mum." Jupiter nodded, smiling a bit as she looked to where her father was on the upper level of the console room. "If you see Lucas and Clara before either Sky or I get back, please tell them we wish we could've brought them with us."

"Oh, you know them." The Doctor waved a hand, turning back towards the bookcase. "They like to have a balance between their normal lives, and their time and space travel lives."

"Let's hope those can stay balanced." Sky remarked as he put a hand on top of the VM around Jupiter's wrist.

"Oh, before you go." The Doctor said suddenly, turning around again before quickly walking down the steps to where his children were by the console. "Where is your mother?"

"Not sure where, specifically." Jupiter told him. "She said she was going to find a lounge room so she could figure out what she might like to drink now. Practice mixology, or something or other. That's all I know. Anyway, see you later, Dad."

"Later." Sky waved at his father, him and Jupiter then zapping out of sight a moment later.

Now alone in the console room, the Doctor sighed as he turned around to walk back up the steps to the upper level. "All these people, coming and going. Never know who's going to pop up next." He muttered as entered a corridor that lead deeper into the TARDIS. "Now, where is my wife...?"

•••

 _Inside, TARDIS, Lounge room_...

"Eurgh." Lexi made a face, lowering the glass of Rum and Coke she had made herself away from her mouth while she stood behind the bar of a lounge room the TARDIS had let her find. "So apparently it's a 'no' on the Rum and Coke."

The TARDIS hummed at her.

"Well of course I'm disappointed." Lexi frowned slightly as she looked up to the ceiling. "It's bad enough that I hate the taste of whiskey now. But to have as much difficulty trying to find a drink that I will like the taste of? It's not fun."

The TARDIS hummed again.

"I know it's going to take some getting used to." Lexi sighed. "I'm trying to do that."

The TARDIS hummed at her once more.

"Oi!" Lexi pointed up at the ceiling. "I don't need your sass right now."

"Is this what you two do when I'm not around?" The Doctor's voice asked, making Lexi turn her head to see her husband standing in the doorway of the room, his arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe with an amused look on his face. "You know, have little chats with each other."

"Sure, let's go with that." Lexi rolled her eyes as she turned around behind the bar to dispose of the Rum and Coke.

The TARDIS hummed again.

The Doctor chuckled, shaking his head before uncrossing his arms and pushing off of the doorframe to walk further into the lounge room. "What exactly are you doing in here, Lex?" He asked as he came and sat down on one the barstools at the bar.

"I'm sure Jupiter told you about the difficulty I'm having trying to figure out things that taste good to me now." She sighed as she turned back around to face her husband. "I've already tried a Rum and Coke, a Tequila Sunrise, a Mai Tai, a Mojito, a Piña Colada, a Cosmopolitan, and an Appletini; all of which tasted horrid. Then again, all of those did have either rum, tequila or vodka in them... So I guess a don't like any of those now either." She pouted slightly before shaking her head as she turned back around and bent down towards where the wine cooler was. "The list of drinks I now don't like is growing... Just like my frustration. Honestly, I don't know how you've done this a dozen times already."

The Doctor smirked slightly at her rambling, tilting his head slightly as he watched his wife pull out a bottle of wine from the wine cooler before standing back up straight. "Have you really tried all of those drinks?"

"Oh, yeah." Lexi gave him a thin smile before popping the cork of the wine bottle, then pouring it into a wine glass. "It sort of reminds me of the time when I first met you."

The Doctor blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Well, yeah." She shrugged. "It's like when floppy-haired, raggedy you couldn't figure what he liked to eat." She snickered at the memory, smirking a bit. "You went through apples, yogurt, bacon, baked beans and bread and butter... All that before finally landing on fish fingers and custard, of all things." She shook her head, lifting the glass of wine to her lips. "Now I can't seem to land on any one drink."

"Maybe you just don't like alcohol now." He pointed out before leaning over the bar and picking up a glass and a bottle of Scotch.

Lexi just rolled her eyes, taking a sip of wine before immediately spitting it back into the glass. She made a face while sticking her tongue out, as if that would help get rid of the taste. "You've got to be kidding me."

The Doctor raised his attack eyebrows as he poured himself a glass of Scotch. "Is it a 'no' on the wine now as well, love?"

"Just shut up and drink your Scotch." Is all she told him as she poured out the glass of wine into the small sink of the bar. "Maybe you're right..."

"Ooh, it really is so very rare when you say that sentence to me." He told her, smirking a bit before taking a sip of his whiskey. "Mind telling me what it is I'm right about this time?"

"Me not liking alcohol now." Lexi said before shrugging as she replaced the cork and stuck the wine bottle back into the wine cooler. "Which I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's really sort of disappointing. I mean, to not be able to find one single alcoholic drink that tastes good... It's kind of out of nowhere." She smirked slightly, leaning against the bar as she looked across to her husband. "Of course, my whole life with you was basically out of nowhere."

The TARDIS hummed, chiming in.

"I know you had a hand in it as well, Sexy." Lexi sighed, looking up to the ceiling. "And again, thank you."

The TARDIS hummed in response as Lexi looked back to the Doctor.

The Doctor smiled slightly as he reached across the bar and took his wife's hand. "I love you, Lex. And I'll do what I can to help you."

Lexi let out a slight laugh, lifting the Doctor's hand and pressing a kiss to it. "I should be saying the same to you. Here I am complaining while you're going through the same thing yourself."

He gave her hand a squeeze before lifting his glass and taking another sip of Scotch. "Yes, but I am more experienced in this sort of thing than you are. So I should be the one guiding you more. Alth–" He cut himself off, pausing as a thought occurred to him. "Wait just a... moment..."

Lexi frowned, watching as her husband let go of her hand before quickly standing from the barstool he had been sitting on. She watched as he briskly walked across the room to a wooden cabinet before opening it and scanning over its contents.

"What are you doing?" Lexi asked curiously as she came out from behind the bar, walking a few steps towards where her husband now was on the other side of the lounge room.

"If I remember correctly..." The Doctor trailed off, thinking. "I believe that there is one drink that you didn't mention." He said before pausing as he spotted a specific bottle. "Ah, there you are." He plucked it from the cabinet before turning back towards his wife. "It's worth a shot."

She squinted as the Doctor lifted the bottle a bit for her to see. Lexi's eyebrows shot up when she realized what it was. "Gin?"

The Doctor grinned. "Gin."

•••

 _Inside, TARDIS, Kitchen_...

With her jacket now discarded, Lexi giggled as she took a sip of the Gin she was having over ice in an old fashioned glass while she and the Doctor were sitting on the kitchen floor with their backs against the counter, a gallon tub of chocolate ice cream with two spoons sticking out of it sitting on the floor in between them. "Not a bad choice at all, my sweet."

The Doctor chuckled, taking another sip of his Scotch. "Yes, well, I'm glad that I could at least help you with something."

"Mm, you don't give yourself enough credit." She smiled at him before taking another sip of Gin, sighing in content at the pleasant and zingy juniper taste. "I think we've found my signature drink... Who knew it would end up being Gin over ice garnished with a slice of lime?"

He raised an eyebrow at her as he took one of the spoons before taking a bite of the chocolate ice cream. "You sure you don't want slow down? That is your fourth glass."

"And when has that ever stopped me with anything?" Lexi smirked at him, taking another sip of her Gin.

Not taking his eyes off his wife as he stuck the spoon back in the ice cream, the Doctor tilted his head slightly as he considered her. "Is this you going to be more flirty the more you drink?"

Lexi raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

"No." The Doctor shrugged before taking another sip of whiskey.

She couldn't help but let out a huff of laughter before just shaking her head, grabbing the bottle of Gin she had sitting next to her and pouring a bit more into her glass. "You know, this new you is... well, different than the last you. Obviously. But, there is one thing that hasn't changed."

"And what would that be?" He asked, glancing at her again.

"You still know how to make me feel better." She told him, smiling slightly as she grabbed her spoon from the gallon of ice cream before grabbing the can of whipped cream she had sitting next to her and spraying a bit of it onto the ice cream that was on the spoon before taking a bite.

The Doctor gave her a small smile, raising his glass. "Back at you, Lex."

Lexi smiled, sticking her spoon back into the tub of ice cream before raising her glass of Gin as well, the two of them clinking their glasses together before taking sips. "By the way, glad to see the 'Lex' nickname hasn't gone away either."

"Oh, that won't ever change." The Doctor shook his head before taking another bite of chocolate ice cream.

Lexi couldn't help but laugh a bit as she examined herself and the Doctor. "Look at us."

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

"Whiskey." She nodded at the glass in his hand. "Gin." She lifted her glass a bit before nodding at the tub of chocolate ice cream in between them. "And chocolate ice cream."

"With the occasional spritz of whipped cream." He added, nodding at the can of whipped cream Lexi had sitting next to her. "Peculiar combination."

"No more than fish fingers and custard." Lexi pointed out, downing what Gin was left in her glass before getting to her feet and setting her empty glass on the counter, then bending down and snatching up the can of whipped cream. "Well, figuring a few things out has been fun... ish. But there's another thing, which is definitely fun, that we still haven't gotten to do in these bodies. So, I think I'm going to go to bed now."

"Why?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow as he watched Lexi walk to the entrance of the kitchen. "Are you actually tired?"

"Not at all." She smirked, winking at him before turning fully around and completely leaving the kitchen.

The Doctor blinked as he now sat there alone on the kitchen floor while pondering on what his wife had said. However, he snapped to attention as soon as Lexi's words actually registered. His eyes widened even more when he remembered that mischievous look in her eyes as she left with the can of whipped cream...

The Doctor quickly downed the rest of his Scotch before scrambling to his feet and rushing from the room, not even caring about the tub of ice cream that still sat on the kitchen floor. His mind was focused elsewhere now... At least one thing hadn't changed about Lexi.

She could still be a _bad bad girl_.

* * *

 **A/N: Did you like...?**

 **This didn't turn out exactly like I had envisioned it, but it was still nice to write. ️ I do hope you enjoyed it. I'm falling more and in love with _Evaldi_ the more that I write them.**

 **Anyway, I'm am really happy to be continuing with this story. Truly.**

 **I really don't have much else to say at the moment, so I guess I shall see you all again for... " _Into the Dalek_ "!**

 **Until then!**

 **💋 _Love always,_**

 _ **~Maddy**_


	10. Into the Dalek: Part 1

**A/N: Hello! *waves***

 **I'm glad to see that all of you enjoyed " _Deep Breath_ ", " _The Promised Land_ " and " _Evaldi Has Risen_ ". Series eight is really getting underway, and we're only on the 2nd episode!**

 **In this, Clara and Lucas meet the new teacher before being pulled (literally) off for another adventure where the phrase getting inside someone's head goes to a whole new level.**

 **Here's... " _Into the Dalek_ "!**

 **Enjoy! 😘**

* * *

 _Inside, Spaceship_...

"Aristotle!" A pilot, a young woman, exclaimed as she tried furiously to control the ship as she contacted her base. "This is Wasp Delta, do you hear me?" She glanced at the unconscious man next to her. "Stay with me, Kai! Stay with me, please!" She cried before trying to contact her base again as the alarm continued to blare.

•••

 _Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

"Aristotle! We have been hit! Major damage!" The young woman's panicked voice came over the scanner, making the Doctor and Lexi's heads shoot up from where they each were as the young woman's voice resonated throughout the console room. Lexi stopped her playing as she sat at her piano and the Doctor paused as he was about to flip to a new page of the book he was reading while sitting in his leather chair. "Aristotle! Aristotle! The enemy are right on top of us!"

"Well, I wonder what that could be." The Doctor glanced at Lexi before the two of them sprung into action. The Doctor carelessly tossed his book aside before racing down to the console while Lexi snatched up her discarded red leather leather jacket and slid it on before rushing to join him. "It's a space fighter." He said as he and Lexi ran around the console while trying to lock onto the signal.

"I can't tell what the enemy is." Lexi said as she rushed to check the scanner. "Come on, come on... Ah, got her!"

A young woman with short hair and in a flight suit then appeared on the floor before the console, her eyes squeezed shut while she screamed. Abruptly, she cut off, opening her eyes.

"Hello." Lexi greeted, giving her a small smile.

She sprang to her feet and snatched up her gun, pointing it right at the Doctor, the one closest to her.

Lexi quickly took a step forward, but the Doctor just nodded. "You'll probably feel a bit sick. Please, don't be."

"Where's my brother?" The woman demanded.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor. That's the Glorious."

"He was right beside me! Where's Kai? How did I get here?"

"We materialized a time capsule exactly 'round you and saved your life one second before your ship exploded, but do please keep crying." The Doctor sighed.

"It's sad, but not everybody lives. Not all the time." Lexi said quietly. "Now, please, put the gun down."

"Or what?" The woman glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Or you might shoot someone." Lexi raised an eyebrow. "Where would you be then?"

"In charge of your vessel." The woman retorted.

The Doctor snorted. "You'd starve to death trying to find the light switch. Who are you?"

"I'm Lieutenant Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance." She answered. "I demand you take me back to my command ship, the Aristotle, which is currently located –"

"No." The Doctor shook his head. "Hey, not like that."

Journey narrowed her eyes. "You will take me back to my command ship, which is currently positioned –"

"Hey, no." Lexi shook her head. "Come on, what's the magic word?"

Journey bit her lip before slowly lowering her gun. "Will you take me back to my ship?" She hesitated a moment before sighing. "Please?"

The Doctor nodded, going around the console. "The Aristotle's the big fella parked in the asteroid belt, yeah?"

"It's shielded!" Journey's eyes widened.

"More or less." The Doctor shrugged as he pulled the dematerialization lever.

Flipping a couple switches, Lexi shot an encouraging look Journey's way. "Braveheart, Journey Blue."

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Landing bay_...

The three of them exited the TARDIS, Journey doing a double take when she saw the TARDIS exterior. "It's smaller on the outside."

"It's more exciting when you go the other way. " The Doctor sighed as they began walking through the ship, taking everything in. "This isn't a battleship. Medical insignia – it's a hospital."

"We don't need hospitals now." A man with a graying beard said as he walked up, two armed soldiers behind him. "The Daleks don't leave any wounded, and we don't take prisoners."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "We saved your little friend here, if that's in any way relevant to mention."

"That's true, sir." Journey nodded. "They did."

"Thank you." The man told the Doctor.

"You're welcome." The Doctor nodded.

"We truly wish we could've done more." Lexi looked to Journey as she remembered her mentioning her brother.

"Then you should have." The man said.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Okay..."

"But you did save Journey, and for that, I am personally grateful."

"Well –"

"However, the security of this base is absolute. So we're still going to kill you."

Lexi rolled her eyes as guns were aimed at her and the Doctor. "Oh, that's nice. Haven't actually died in a while. I thought we were about due."

"Shoot them, bag them, and throw them outside." The man ordered.

"No!" Journey ran forward to stop the man, Lexi and the Doctor taking a few steps back. "Stop!"

"I'm sorry, they might be duplicates." The man shook his head.

"He's a doctor." Journey insisted. "And we have a patient. Don't we, Uncle?"

The man narrowed his eyes, sighing after a moment before waving his men down. "Come with us."

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Hall_...

"Why does a hospital need a doctor?" The Doctor asked as he and Lexi followed Journey, her uncle and his men through the corridors.

"The Aristotle wasn't always hidden." The man answered. "The Daleks got here before us."

Journey frowned, noticing how the Doctor was scowling at a few soldiers. "You don't like soldiers much, do you?"

"You don't need to be liked." The Doctor told her. "You've got all the guns."

Lexi sighed, taking her husband's hand as Journey looked offended. "Stay calm, Doctor."

"Bit difficult when you have a gun pointed right at you, don't you think?"

Lexi squeezed his hand. "I thought you handled it well."

He sighed, squeezing her hand back. "I wasn't talking about me."

"Well, obviously, neither was I."

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Lab_...

"Ooh." Lexi's eyes brightened as they entered a lab area, the Doctor letting go of her hand as they looked upon a long, clear tube with bench seats inside, large enough for someone to sit in.

"Wow!" The Doctor grinned. "A moleculon nanoscaler!"

"You know what it does, then?" Journey asked.

"It miniaturizes living matter." He nodded. "What's the medical application, though? Do you use it to shrink the surgeons so they can climb inside the patients?"

"Exactly." The man nodded.

"Wait, so... Are you going to miniaturize him?" Lexi frowned.

"He's a doctor, isn't he?" The man asked as he went and opened a pair of security doors. "And this is his patient."

Lexi gasped in horror, her jaw dropping. She was barley able to see a scratched eyepiece glow blue before the Doctor grabbed her and yanked her behind him. "No, you don't understand." He shook his head, staring in shock at who the soldiers wanted him to help. "You can't put us in there!"

"Doc...tor?" The battered Dalek managed to ask as it flickered to life.

•••

 _Inside, School, Teachers' Lounge, Day_...

"I'm telling you, I've got this new student. She's called Addie." Lucas was telling Clara as they were readying to leave Coal Hill, the two of them sifting through papers as they sat at a table in the teachers' lounge. "She is too smart for her own good. She actually corrected me today."

"You?" Clara smirked, raising her eyebrows as she looked up and across at her friend. "The time traveling History teacher?"

"Oi, quiet." Lucas laughed, flicking his gaze around to be sure no one was listening as Clara giggled. "But yeah, I think Addie's the most inquisitive and curious student I've ever had."

"Wait... Adelina McKinnon, right?" Clara asked as she put papers in a folder before putting it in her bag. "Yeah, I have her in my English class right after lunch. She's quite fond of Edgar Allan Poe, isn't she?"

"Yes." Lucas chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he packed up his messenger bag before he and Clara stood up from the table. "She's the one that convinced me to do a whole lesson just on him."

"Oh, Clara, Lucas, er... Neither of you've met Danny Pink yet?" The Headmaster asked as Clara and Lucas were walking to the door, making them pause and turn to see him and a dark-skinned man in a button up shirt and tie approach. "New fella, Maths."

"Hello." The two friends greeted, shaking Danny's hand.

"Clara Oswald, English. And Lucas Harper, History." The Headmaster introduced them.

"Nice to meet you both." Danny nodded.

"You, too." Clara smiled.

"I'll leave you all to it." The Headmaster said, clapping Danny on the shoulder before walking off. "Beth, can I have a word?"

"So, er... was it you we saw outside doing the soldiery thing?" Clara asked once it was just her, Danny and Lucas, Clara remembering when she and Lucas had arrived that morning and saw Danny working outside with a class of students.

"Oh, yeah. The Coal Hill Cadets." Danny nodded. "Just a bit of fun."

"What, teaching them how to shoot people?" Lucas scoffed slightly, checking his phone.

"There's a bit more to modern soldiering then just shooting people." Danny stated, making Lucas look up. "I like to think there's a moral dimension."

"Oh?" Clara tilted her head a bit. "You shoot people then and cry about it afterwords?"

"Ah." Danny gave a thin smile, ducking his head.

Lucas frowned. "Something wrong, mate?"

"Nothing, no. Sorry, no, nothing." Danny shook his head, looking back up. "I just... I didn't think they'd say anything, that's all."

Clara blinked. "Sorry?"

"Have they told everyone?" He sighed.

"No...?" Lucas said questioningly. "I'm sorry, what are we talking about?"

Danny looked to Clara. "Why did you just say the crying thing?"

"I was being funny." Clara frowned slightly.

"Why?"

"I just do that."

"Why?"

"I dunno."

Lucas looked back and forth between the two. "Er.. I'm just going to... Yeah."

With that, dear sweet Lucas walked off to the other side of the teachers' lounge.

"Anyway..." Danny trailed off. "I, er... I've left some stuff in my class..."

Clara nodded, Lucas watching them from over by the window. "Okay, see you."

"See you." Danny told her before heading for the door.

After a slight hesitation, as if debating with herself, Clara then turned around and walked after Danny. "Er, are you going to the, um, leaving thing tonight for Cathy?" She asked as she caught up with him.

•••

 _Soon after, Inside, School, Hall_...

"Are you sure about this guy?" Lucas asked Clara quietly as the two of them stood in the hall, just outside a classroom, watching as Danny thumped his head on his desk.

"No, but isn't that the fun of it?" Clara giggled softly before glancing at Lucas. "Why do you ask, though?"

Lucas sighed internally, cursing his friend's obliviousness of a certain time twin before actually replying.

"No reason."

Clara squinted at him for a moment before just shaking her head and entering Danny's classroom.

•••

 _Inside, School, Classroom_...

"Is the wooden sound you or the desk?"

Clara's voice made Danny pause and look up sheepishly. "How long have you been there?"

"Longer than you would like." She admitted.

"Okay." He looked down.

Clara laughed slightly. "Will you look that terrified when you take me out for a drink?"

Danny cleared his throat. "I... I absolutely promise I won't."

"Play your cards right, and you might." Clara smiled before turning on her heel and walking out.

•••

 _Inside, School, Hall_...

"Bad idea." Lucas's voice made Clara pause to see he had waited just outside Danny's classroom, his arms crossed as he leaned back against the wall on the other side of the hall.

"Why, why is it a bad idea?" Clara frowned slightly, putting her hands on her hips as she walked up to her friend.

"If you don't know why I think it's a bad idea, then you obviously haven't been paying that much attention as of late." Is all Lucas told her before pushing off the wall and walking down the hall.

"What are you even talking about?" Clara asked, clearly confused as she rushed after him.

"Clara, I'm your best friend. So trust me when I say, I'm not going to tell you." Lucas responded. "You need to figure it out on your own."

"Alright, Mister Cryptic." Clara rolled her eyes as the two of them walked by a supply closet, Clara missing the door open slightly and a blue knitted fingerless glove clad hand reach out before yanking Lucas inside. "Answer me this, then." She said, glancing back and frowning when she saw Lucas had disappeared. "Lucas?"

Clara squeaked when the supply closet door opened again, the same blue knitted fingerless glove clad hand reaching out and yanking her inside as well.

•••

 _Inside, School, Supply closet_...

Lucas and Clara panted, both of them startled and confused as they gazed upon a woman they hadn't seen in a few weeks.

"Hello!" Lexi grinned as she held out coffees to them, the TARDIS a few feet behind her.

Clara blinked. "Where the hell have you been?"

"It's nice to see you, too, Clara." Lexi told her, Clara and Lucas taking the coffees from her. "And remember? We dropped you two back home before running out to go get coffee."

"Three weeks ago." Lucas pointed out.

Lexi sighed, closing her eyes. "I'm going to kill him." She shook her head before motioning for them to follow her. "Anyway, that's not important right now. Come on!"

The two friends sipped their coffees and glanced at each other, grinning before then quickly following after Lexi.

•••

 _Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

"Three weeks!" Clara announced as she, Lucas and Lexi entered the TARDIS.

"I told him that I should've been the one to set the coordinates for your location." Lexi stated as she walked up to where the Doctor was by the console. "But, you know, whatever."

"It's not my fault!" The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I got distracted."

"By what?" Clara asked curiously, tilting her head slightly as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Oh, there's always something." The Doctor waved her off.

Lucas looked around curiously. "Where's Jupiter?"

"Oh, she and Sky are at Hen and Stag parties for British royalty in the twenty-third century. They'll turn up again at some point." Lexi answered before glancing at the Doctor, raising an eyebrow. "Now, are you going ask what you wanted to?"

"What?" Clara asked in confusion.

"Clara, Clara, Clara, Clara." The Doctor walked over and put an arm around her shoulders before leading her off to the side, Lucas watching with a frown. "Clara, Clara, Clara, Clara. I need something from you. I need the truth."

"Okay." Clara blinked as they sat down on a set of steps that lead to the lowest level of the console room. "Right, what is it? What's –" She paused, seeing his face. "You're scared."

The Doctor sighed. "I'm terrified."

"Of what?"

"The answer to my next question, which must be honest and cold and considered without kindness or restraint. My wife is a bit biased, you know. And Lucas is her companion. I need to hear it from you."

"Okay." Clara nodded, leaning forward slightly.

"Clara, be my pal and tell me..." He took a deep breath. "Am I a good man?"

Clara blinked, taken aback. She opened her mouth to respond, but paused as she actually thought about the Doctor's question. The previous Doctor had really been a good man. I mean, he could be scary in serious situations, but he had certainly been good. This Doctor, though? Clara didn't yet know him all that much. "The last you was... a very good man." She said slowly, trying to pick out the right way to word her answer. "But this you... well, I... I don't know."

The Doctor nodded, accepting that answer. "Neither do I." He admitted before jumping to his feet.

"I've told him over and over that he is, but as he said, I'm apparently biased." Lexi rolled her eyes.

"You do have to admit, though, you kind of are." Lucas shrugged as Clara and the Doctor came and joined them by the console. "I mean, you are his wife."

Clara chuckled, nodding in agreement with her friend before pausing, seeing the Doctor working various controls on the console. "Er, hey, no offense, but I've got plans."

"Oh boy, does she ever." Lucas smirked, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Shut up." Clara hissed before looking back to the Doctor and Lexi.

The Doctor sighed, glancing over at them. "We need you."

"Right." Clara nodded, her and Lucas walking over to help. "Where are we going?"

The Doctor flipped a lever. "Into darkness."

The Impossibles blinked, looking over to Lexi, only to see her face set with a serious expression. "Yeah, that's not an exaggeration." She told them before her and the Doctor started recounting the story.

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Lab_...

 _"Doc...tor!" The Dalek said.  
_

 _"How do you know who I am?" The Doctor demanded._

 _"He doesn't." Journey's uncle, Morgan Blue, answered. "We promised him medical assistance."_

 _"Are you my doctor?" The Dalek asked._

 _"We found it floating in space." Journey explained._

 _"We thought it was deactivated, so we tried to disassemble it." Morgan nodded._

 _"You didn't realize there was a living creature inside." Lexi guessed._

 _"Not till it started screaming." Journey confirmed._

 _"Help... me." The Dalek said._

 _"Why would I do that?" The Doctor smirked meaninglessly. "Why would any living creature help you?"_

 _"Daleks will die."_

 _"Die all you like. Not my problem."_

 _"Daleks must be destroyed."_

 _"Daleks must be –" The Doctor blinked. "What did you just say?"_

 _"All Daleks must die!" The Dalek declared, rattling its cables as the Doctor and Lexi's jaws dropped. "I will destroy the Daleks! Destroy the Daleks! Destroy the Daleks!"_


	11. Into the Dalek: Part 2

_Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

"A good Dalek?" Clara blinked, her and Lucas sitting on a set of steps that lead to the upper level of the console room as they listened to the Doctor and Lexi's story.

"There's no such thing." The Doctor shook his head, him and Lexi leaning against the console as they looked at their companions.

"That's a bit inflexible." Clara raised an eyebrow as she and Lucas got to their feet, setting their (now) empty coffee cups aside. "Not like you. I'd almost say prejudiced."

The Doctor considered her. "Do I pay you? I should give you a raise."

Clara snorted. "You're not my boss. You're one of my hobbies."

"And what a fun hobby you can be." Lexi giggled, shooting her husband a wink as they headed for the doors.

"Definitely, boss." The Doctor winked back.

"At least we know the flirting hasn't changed all that much." Lucas muttered to Clara as they followed the Couple of Time, Clara laughing in agreement.

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Lab_...

"That was quick." Journey remarked as the Doctor and Lexi reentered the lab, their companions now with them.

"This is gun girl." The Doctor pointed at her as Clara and Lucas looked around. "She's got a gun, and she's a girl. This is a sort of boss one. Are you the same one as before?"

"Yes." Morgan nodded slowly.

"I think he's probably her uncle, but I may have made that up to pass the time while they were talking. This is Clara, not my assistant. She's, er, some other word."

"I'm his carer." Clara said promptly.

"Yeah, my carer. She cares so I don't have to."

Lexi sighed before gesturing at Lucas. "And this is Lucas. He is not my carer, but he is my friend and dutiful voice of reason when I am incapable of doing so." She then gestured at Journey and Morgan. "Lucas, Clara, meet Lieutenant Journey Blue and her uncle, Colonel Morgan Blue. I do apologize for the Doctor, he tends to be like this."

"Can you blame me, love?" The Doctor asked before opening the security doors of the chamber where the Dalek was being kept.

"Not really." Lexi shrugged, looking pointedly at the Dalek.

"Doc...tor." The Dalek said.

"Hello again." The Doctor nodded.

"Will you... help me?"

"Will you?" Clara asked.

"A Dalek so damaged, it's turned good." The Doctor nodded. "Morality as malfunction. How do I resist?"

"Daleks must die." The Dalek said. "Daleks must die!"

"Alright..." Lucas said slowly. "So what the hell are we supposed to do with a moral Dalek?"

"We get inside its head." The Doctor answered.

Lucas and Clara looked to Lexi, but said woman just shook her head. "Yeah... that wasn't a metaphor."

•••

 _Soon after_...

"These are nanocontrollers." Journey said as she was putting bracelets on Clara's and Lucas's wrists, the three of them standing by the moleculon nanoscaler. "Once we're miniaturized, they take over the molecular compression. When the mission's over, hit the button." Clara and Lucas both nodded, making Journey frown at them. "Are you sure you both understand?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Clara asked.

"Because this is a dangerous mission, and you two look like school teachers."

"We are school teachers." Lucas raised an eyebrow, him and Clara glancing down at their clothes. Clara wearing her red patterned button down blouse, skinny jeans and brown ankle boots; and Lucas wearing his grey vest over a grey-blue checked button down shirt, nice jeans and grey sneakers.

Looking back up, Clara tilted her head as she look to Journey. "So, Journey Blue?"

"Blue, yes." She nodded. "Problem?"

"No." Clara shook her head. "I just met a soldier called Pink."

Journey smiled when she saw Clara's look. "Lucky fella."

"Lucky?"

"From the way you smile." Journey nodded at Clara before flicking her gaze over to Lucas, giving him a small smile. "Do you have someone who makes you smile?"

"Oh, I do. Sort of." He told her, not looking up as he adjusted the strap of his nanocontroller. "But she's not here right now."

"What about you?" Clara asked Journey. "Who makes you smile, or is nobody up to the job?"

She scowled a bit at that. "My brother. But he burned to death a couple of hours ago, so he's really letting me down today. Excuse me."

As Journey walked away from Clara and Lucas, the Doctor noticed two other soldiers were joining them. "What are those ones for? I don't need armed babysitters."

One of them, Gretchen, narrowed her eyes. "We're not babysitters."

"We're here to shoot you dead if you turn out to be a Dalek spy." The other one, Ross, nodded.

The Doctor scoffed slightly. "Well, that's a relief. I hate babysitters."

"Okay, listen up." Journey said as everyone then got into the nanoscaler and sat down on the benches. "Now, remember, do not hold your breath when the nanoscaler engages. You'll feel like you want to, but you must keep breathing normally during the miniaturization process."

"Why?" Clara frowned.

"Have you ever microwaved a lasagna without pricking the film on top?" Lexi questioned from where she sat next to the Doctor, looking up from the nanocontroller around her own wrist.

"It explodes?"

The Doctor nodded. "Don't be lasagna."

"Nanoscaler engaging in five, four, three, two..." Morgan counted down. "Nanoscaler engaging now."

"Nanoscaling in progress." Lexi squeezed her eyes shut, gripping the Doctor's hand tightly as the nanoscaler shrunk. A moment later, the computer announced, "Nanoscaling complete."

"Lovely." Lexi mumbled, opening her eyes.

"Nanoscaling successful." Morgan's voice came through the communicator. "Everyone okay in there?"

"We made it." Journey answered. "Nobody popped."

"Whoa." Clara looked around, eyes wide as the nanoscaler they were all in was picked up by a mechanical claw and carried to the Dalek. "I can't believe this!"

"No." The Doctor agreed as he looked through the glass bottom, seeing the Dalek. "Neither can I."

The nanoscaler was then injected into the Dalek's eyestalk, and the Doctor reached out towards it. The surface of the nanoscaler that was pressed against the Dalek wobbled, the Doctor's hand going through with a squelching sound, making said Time Lord pull his hand back.

"We'll be following you all the way, Rescue One." Morgan's voice came over. "Good luck, all of you."

"Integration complete." The computer announced. "Dalek levels steady."

•••

 _Inside, Dalek_...

The Doctor lead the way out of the nanoscaler and into the 'field' that was the membrane of the Dalek's eye. Everyone crossed through, it seeming to be a cross between floating and swimming. They came out the other side into what looked like a corridor.

Clara blinked as she wobbled out. "That was... weird."

"Something tells me that won't be the weirdest thing we see today." Lucas remarked as he wobbled out next to her.

Clara smiled slightly at that before tilting her head as she looked around. "What are these lights?"

"Visual impulses traveling towards the brain." The Doctor answered.

"Beautiful."

"Welcome to the most dangerous place in the universe." The Doctor said dryly.

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Lab_...

"Entering the cranial ledge now." Journey's voice reported over the communicator as Morgan watched a schematic of the Dalek on a monitor, a glowing dot representing the position of everyone inside.

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Cranial Ledge_...

"Here." Journey said, weapon out as she peeked over the edge of a ledge.

"Oh, my God." Lucas mumbled as they all looked down at wires that lead to a center glowing unit: the Dalek's brain.

"Behold, everyone!" Lexi announced. "The belly of the beast."

"It's amazing." Clara looked around.

"It's huge." Ross agreed.

"No, Ross, we're tiny." Gretchen shook her head.

"We're the little ones." Lucas said, glancing to the Doctor and Lexi. "So how big is that living part compared to us right now?"

The Doctor looked up and around. "You see all those cables?"

Lucas looked up and nodded. "Yeah."

"They're not all cables." Lexi said, gasping playfully and making Lucas laugh.

"Does it know we're here?" Ross asked.

"It's what invited us in." Journey pointed out.

The Doctor then crouched down, pointing at banks of vertical lights around the inside of a part of the ledge. "Now, this is the cortex vault, a supplementary electronic brain. Memory banks, but more than that. This is what keeps the Dalek... pure."

Gretchen frowned. "How are Daleks pure?"

"Dalek mutants are born hating. This is what stokes the fire, extinguishes even the tiniest glimmer of kindness or compassion. Imagine the worst possible thing in the universe, then don't bother, because you're looking at it right now. This is evil refined as engineering."

"Doc...tor?" The Dalek's voice echoed around them.

"Oh, hello, Rusty!" The Doctor looked up and around. "You don't mind if I call you Rusty? We're going to need to come down there with you. Medical examination and all that."

"What, with all those tentacles and things?" Gretchen's eyes widened.

"How close do we have to get?" Journey asked.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Well, you know, we're never going to insert a thermometer from up here."

Journey then nodded at Ross, said man taking aim before firing a metal hook on a cable into the floor. He then prepared to shoot the other end of the cable down into Rusty's brain.

Lexi turned, eyes widening when she saw what Ross was doing before running over. "No, stop! No, no, no, no, stop, stop!"

"You idiot!" The Doctor snapped, rushing up behind Lexi as she snatched the gun away from Ross before he could fire again.

"We need a way down." Journey scowled. "The only way –"

"This is a Dalek, not a machine!" Lexi snapped, cutting her off. "It's a perfect analogue of a living being, and you just hurt it. What do you think it's going to do now?"

Just then, a droning could be heard, everyone looking around for the approaching danger.

"Okay, we definitely have incoming." Lexi said as Ross took the gun back from her.

"What?" Gretchen frowned. "What is it?"

"Antibodies?" Clara guessed.

"Dalek antibodies." The Doctor nodded, grabbing Lexi's hand as floating metal spheres came around the corner and surrounded Ross. "Any attempt to help him, or attack, those things will identify you as a secondary source of infection. Stay still!"

The antibodies surrounding Ross then opened to reveal a big blue eye.

Lucas frowned. "But if the Dalek wants us in here, why is it attacking?"

"I know you're not a biology teacher, Lucas, but come on." Lexi told him quietly. "Can anyone control their antibodies?"

"Ross, stay calm." Journey told him as the man's eyes darted from antibody to antibody. "We're going to get you out of this."

"Can you?" Clara asked the Doctor.

The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out some sort of pill/capsule. "Ross, swallow that."

Ross caught what the Doctor tossed him. "What is it?"

"Trust me."

Ross nodded and swallowed it. "Now what?"

One of the antibodies then aimed a very bright beam at Ross, making him scream.

"Ross!" Journey screamed as Ross was disintegrated.

"Oh, my God." Clara gasped as the antibody sucked up what remained. "What's it doing?"

"The hoovering." The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver as the antibody's blue eye turned red and flew off. He examined the screwdriver, then smiled. "Gotcha."

"What did you give him?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, just a spare power cell, but I can track the radiation signature. I need to know where they dump the bodies."

Journey's eyes widened. "I thought you were saving him!"

"He was dead already. I was saving us." The Doctor shook his head before grabbing Lexi's hand again. "Follow me and run."

"Run!" Clara grabbed Lucas's hand as they began running after the Doctor and Lexi, all of them running away from the antibodies and towards where the Doctor was tracking the signal with his sonic.

"They've dumped him in here." The Doctor said as they all stopped above a large circular pipe. "Organic refuse disposal. We need to get in there."

"Why?" Lucas made a face, looking down.

"Those antibodies won't give up until we're inside." The Doctor replied, nodding at the antibodies Journey and Gretchen were shooting at. "I'd rather go in alive than dead."

"You don't know where it goes!" Journey warned.

"Yes, I do! Away from here! Now, in, in, in!"

Lexi then took a deep breath before jumping in without another word, Lucas doing the same.

"I can hold them off." Gretchen began as Clara went down after Lucas.

"No, you can't." The Doctor shook his head as Journey went in, Gretchen going after her.

The Doctor tried one last time to use his sonic screwdriver on the antibodies, but to no avail. He then looked back to see that everyone had gone, nodding in satisfaction when he saw they had before jumping down the pipe himself.


	12. Into the Dalek: Part 3

_Inside, Dalek, Disposal_...

"Eugh!" Clara flung gunk out of her hair as the Doctor landed in the slimy liquid. "What is this stuff?"

"People." The Doctor answered, making Lucas pause as he was trying to get gunk out of his own hair. "The Daleks need protein. Occasionally, they harvest from their victims. This is a feeding tube."

"Is Ross here?" Journey asked.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded. "Top layer, if you want to say a few words."

Journey grabbed him and pushed him against the wall, glaring daggers at him. "A man has just died. You will not talk like that!"

"A lot of people have died." The Doctor countered. "Everything in here is dead, and do you know why that's good?"

"There is nothing good about that!"

"Nothing is alive in here, so logically, this is the weakest spot in the Dalek's internal security." The Doctor said as Journey let him go. "Nobody guards the dead. Mortuaries and larders, always the easiest to break out of." He then turned towards Lexi, raising an eyebrow at her. "You alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine." She waved him off, wringing out her hair. "That drop was nothing. Remember when we were pushed down to the Dalek Asylum?"

"Ah, how could I forget?" He asked rhetorically before glancing at Journey. "Tell Uncle Stupid that we're in." He then looked around for a way out. "Aha! A bolt hole!"

"He'll get us out of here." Clara assured Journey. "The difficult part is not killing him before he can."

"Bolt hole." The Doctor said, pulling his sonic screwdriver out before pointing it at a large round grate, removing it. "Actually, a hole for a bolt." He looked around. "Does nobody get that?"

"Can't forget the puns either." Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Watch it." The Doctor warned as he crawled inside the hole, Lexi crawling in right behind him, everyone else following after her. "Decontamination tubes are hot."

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Lab_...

"Anomaly threat displaced." The computer announced as Morgan continued to watch the schematic of Rusty (the Dalek) on the monitor. "Dalek levels returning to normal parameters."

"Rescue One to Mission control." Journey's voice came over the communicator.

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Decontamination tube_...

"This is Blue, Rescue One." Morgan answered as everyone was crawling through the narrow tunnel. "Report."

"The Dalek has an internal defense mechanism." Journey informed him. "We've lost Ross."

"What kind of defense mechanism? That thing knows you're in there to help it!"

"Yeah, well, who knows? It's a Dalek. We're going to continue the mission."

"Are you alright back there?" The Doctor looked behind him. "It's a bit narrow, isn't it?"

"My sweet," Lexi began, a humorless smile plastered on her face. "if you even finish that train of thought that I know is in your head, you're sleeping in the console room."

With that, the Doctor swallowed down what else he had been about to say before continuing on.

"She's totally his filter." Lucas whispered to Clara as they followed after the Couple of Time, both of them laughing to themselves and loving that the Doctor was just shut down by his own wife.

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Room_...

The Doctor hopped out of the tube first, then held out his arms. Lexi then grabbed onto his shoulders before he pulled her out. "What's that noise?" She asked, looking around and hearing a crackling sound as everyone else came out of the tube.

"Are you wearing a Geiger counter?" The Doctor pointed at Gretchen.

"Standard battle equipment." She nodded, taking it out. "That's just low level radiation."

"But stronger down here for some reason." The Doctor frowned a bit. "Gimme."

"Was that him?" Morgan's voice asked. "How's he working out?"

Journey frowned. "It's hard to say."

"Trust me, he's usually like this." Lucas said as he stepped up next to her.

The Doctor walked around the room a little, using the Geiger counter on some circuit boards before his eyes widened. "I've got it." He said. "I know what's wrong with Rusty."

"Please tell me that's good." Clara sighed.

"Well..." He cleared his throat. "You know how I said this was the most dangerous place in the universe? I was wrong. It's way more dangerous than that."

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Lab_...

"Colonel, we have radiation indicators red-lining in here." Journey's voice reported over the communicator. "The Dalek could be more badly damaged than we thought."

"Copy that." Morgan replied.

"Old Rusty here is suffering a trionic radiation leak." The Doctor's voice said.

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Body cavity_...

"It's poisoning the Dalek and us." The Doctor said as he, Lexi, Lucas, Clara, Journey and Gretchen were walking along the base of the main body of Rusty. "Just as well we're here."

"Really?" Journey looked around uneasily. "Perhaps we should get out while we can. Why should we trust a Dalek? Why would it change?"

"That's a good question." Lexi looked up. "Rusty, what changed you?"

"I saw beauty." Rusty answered.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"In the silence and the cold, I saw worlds burning."

Journey frowned. "That's not beauty. That's destruction."

"I saw more."

"What?" The Doctor asked. "What did you see?"

"The birth of a star."

He frowned. "Stars are born everyday. You've seen a million stars born, so what?"

"Daleks have destroyed millions of stars."

"Oh, millions and millions. Trust me, I keep count."

"And yet, new stars are born."

The Doctor nodded. "Every time."

"Resistance is futile." Rusty said.

Lexi frowned. "Resistance to what?"

"Life returns. Life prevails. Resistance is futile."

"So you saw a star being born, and you learned something." The Doctor shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, Dalek, do not be lying to me." He then gestured for everyone to follow him. "Come on."

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Lab_...

"Heading for the Trionic power cells, Colonel." Journey's voice reported over the communicator.

"Radiation approxing two hundred Rads." Morgan responded. "Danger levels."

"Radiation levels increasing." The computer informed.

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Power cell_...

"We're at the heart of the Dalek." The Doctor said, looking around as he lead the group into the power cell. Everyone appeared to be at the bottom of the 'cavern' they had seen from above when they first came into the Dalek, or at least an area that looked similar.

"It's incredible." Lucas looked up at the energy arcs above them, taking note of some sparking cables.

"Geiger counter's off the scale." Journey informed, checking. "Looks like it's about to blow."

"Good." The Doctor nodded.

Journey scowled. "How is that good?"

Lexi smirked slightly. "Let's just say he works better under a bit of pressure."

"Rusty, can you hear me?" The Doctor called.

"Doctor?" Rusty answered.

"Rusty, we've found the damage. I'm sealing up the breach in your power cell." He used his sonic on the power cell, where there was a crack in the casing, then nodded. "No more radiation poisoning. Good as new. There. Job done."

"That's it?" Clara eyed the power cell dubiously. "Just like that?"

"An anti-climax once in a while is good for my hearts." The Doctor nodded. "Rusty? How do you feel? Rusty?" He frowned, not hearing an immediate answer. "Rusty? Rusty..."

"The malfunction is corrected." Rusty said.

"What happened?" Journey frowned.

"Not entirely sure." The Doctor admitted.

Just then, lights flared on all over, making everyone wince.

"I think it's waking up..." Lexi mumbled, looking around wearily.

"Rusty, come on, talk to me!" The Doctor called. "What's going on?"

"The malfunction is corrected." Rusty answered. "All systems are functioning. Weapons charged."

"Oh, God, please, no." Lexi's eyes widened as she rushed up beside the Doctor.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"No, no, no!" The Doctor shouted.

"Exterminate! Exterminate! The Daleks will be victorious! The rebels will be exterminated!"

"Colonel?!" Journey shouted into her communicator. "What's happening out there?"

All anyone could hear was Rusty shouting exterminate.

Clara frowned and marched up to where the Doctor and Lexi stood. "Doctor, what happened?" She demanded.

The Doctor shook his head bitterly as Lexi bit her lip and turned, walking a few paces away. "Do you see?" He asked.

"Do I see what?"

"Daleks don't turn good. It was just radiation poisoning affecting its brain chemistry, nothing more than that. No miracle."

"Let me get this straight." Journey scowled. "We had a good Dalek, and we made it bad again? That's all we've done?"

"There was never a good Dalek." The Doctor shook his head. "There was a broken Dalek and we repaired it."

"You were supposed to be helping us!"

"Alright, that's it!" Lexi finally snapped, walking up to Journey, pointing a finger at her. "We tried. We gave it a shot. But everything doesn't always work out like we want it to. It can't all be sunshine and rainbows, can it?" She raised an eyebrow. "So if you can't grasp that reality, Journey Blue, then don't you dare say another word." She snatched the grenade Journey had pulled out and tossed it to Lucas, said man catching it with wide eyes. "But the day isn't done yet, and neither are we."

"We will be, though. In moments!"

"Oh, so much can be done in only a few moments." Lexi said, turning around. "The reason we came here today is because we thought we had found a good Dalek. And I don't think any of us would disagree, that if we had found one, that it would make all the difference in this big and vast universe we all live in."

"But it's impossible." The Doctor shook his head.

"Is it really, though?" Lexi quirked an eyebrow challengingly. "Remember what your last self said when we were stuck in that bubble universe with the human version of Idris? When we actually had to build a TARDIS?"

A look of remembrance then crossed the Doctor's face before it morphed into one of fondness as he gazed at Lexi. "It's not impossible as long as we are alive."

"Journey, what the hell's happening?" Morgan's voice came from Journey's communicator. "That thing's set the Daleks on us, and it's locked us out of our defenses. Journey, you're the Aristotle's only hope. I need you to destroy that Dalek, whatever it takes."

Journey swallowed. "Understood, Uncle."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah." She sighed. "Me, too."

"Right now, we are alive." Lexi told the Doctor. "Let's not waste that."

"Forget paying Clara, I need to pay you." He grinned, giving her a quick kiss before rushing over to where Journey and Gretchen were. "Whatever you're going to do, don't do it. This Dalek must not be destroyed. We can do better."

Journey's jaw dropped. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"No. I'm inside a Dalek. I'm standing where I've never been. We cannot waste this chance. It won't come again."

"What chance? I have my orders!"

"Soldiers take orders."

"And I'm a soldier."

"And this Dalek is a better soldier than you or any of the others will ever be." The Doctor told her. "You can't win this way."

"Bah!" Journey growled, then let go of another grenade. "So what do we do?"

"Something better."


	13. Into the Dalek: Part 4 - FINAL

_Inside, Dalek, Inner casing, Recess_...

"The Dalek isn't just some angry blob in a Dalekanium tank." The Doctor said as they all climbed the wall of the casing and into a recess. "If it was, the radiation would have turned it into a raging lunatic."

"It is a raging lunatic." Journey frowned. "It's a Dalek."

"But, for a moment, it wasn't. The radiation allowed it to expand its consciousness, to consider things beyond its natural terms of reference. It became good. That means a good Dalek is possible." The Doctor glanced at Lexi, smirking a bit. "That's what we learned today. Am I right, love?"

"Exactly, my sweet." Lexi grinned.

"But now it's back to how it was." Journey reminded.

"But what it saw, what it felt, is still there." The Doctor countered.

"Yeah, I'm not really seeing that."

"Yeah, well, the reason for that is because it's not here." Lexi pointed up. "It's up there."

Journey looked up. "You mean in the cortex vault?"

Lucas blinked. "The evil engineering?"

"Every memory recorded." The Doctor nodded. "Some suppressed, but all still intact. We need to show the Dalek that star being born again, recreate that moment. You need to get up there, find that moment, and reawaken it."

"Got it." Lexi nodded, cracking her neck.

"How?" Clara asked.

"Haven't the foggiest." The Doctor admitted. "Do a clever thing. And then once you've done it, the Dalek will be suggestible to new ideas. It will be open again, and I will show it something that will change its mind forever."

"What?" Journey asked.

"Not a clue."

Journey groaned. "This is crazy! There's no way we can get back up there in time!"

"Yes, there is." Gretchen spoke up as she took aim with the same grappling hook gun Ross had used.

"No, Gretchen." Journey shook her head, quickly going to her. "It'll bring the antibodies down on us."

Ignoring Journey, Gretchen looked straight to Lexi. "Tell me the truth, Glorious. Is he mad, or is he right? I've come this far, probably going to die anyway. Wouldn't mind something to do for the rest of my life." She took a deep breath, tightening her grip on the grappling hook gun. "Is he mad, or is he right?"

"After nine hundred years of being with him," Lexi let out a puff of air. "I can honestly say that most of the time he's both."

Gretchen nodded before then turning towards the Doctor. "One question, then... Is this worth it?"

"If I can turn one Dalek, I can turn them all." He told her. "I can save the future."

"Gretchen Alison Carlisle. Do something good and name it after me."

The Doctor nodded. "I will do something amazing, I promise."

Gretchen smiled. "Damn well better." She said before firing the grappling hook gun.

"No, Gretchen!" Journey shouted.

"Go!" She shouted, firing again as the antibodies started flowing in their direction.

"They're coming!" Clara looked to Lexi and Lucas.

"All three of you, grab hold of the rope." Journey told them before they came and put their hands by hers on the large handle.

"Don't look down." Lexi warned, looking to Lucas and Clara.

"Good luck!" Gretchen called to them as she continuously fired on the antibodies; Clara and Lucas screaming and Lexi laughing as Journey activated the device, making the four of them ascend up the cable while the Doctor left the room. Gretchen herself kept firing at the antibodies before she screamed as she was disintegrated.

•••

 _Inside, ?_...

Gretchen's screaming died off and she opened her eyes, confused. She now found herself sitting at a table in some sort of empty tea shop.

Missy smiled widely from where she sat across from her. "Hello. I'm Missy." She introduced herself before gesturing to the man sitting next to her. "And this, is Kasimir."

The blonde haired and blue eyed man smiled at Gretchen. "Welcome to Heaven, darling."

"Would you like some tea? Little splash?" Missy offered before using a teapot to pour her a cuppa. "Lovely."

"You should try these mini quiches." Kasimir said as he placed a couple of said little pastries on a small saucer for Gretchen. "They're to die for." He chuckled at the thought. "Literally."

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Body cavity, Organic compartment_...

The Doctor continued to climbed, going into the Dalek's organic compartment, finally able to take a good look at Rusty. "Well, here we are, Rusty. Eye-to-eye."

"You cannot save the humans." Rusty told him. "They will be exterminated. I shall join the Dalek units in the final attack."

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Cortex vault_...

"So what do we do?" Journey asked when the four of them made it into the cortex vault.

"Something clever." Lexi said, looking around before her gaze landed on the panels that lined the wall. "D'you see all these lights that are out?"

"Yeah."

"The Doctor did say that this was the memory bank." Lucas recalled.

"Exactly." Lexi nodded. "So, thinking about that, what if some of the memories were suppressed? What if the lights that are out are hidden memories?"

"Seriously?" Journey's eyebrows shot up.

"Wait." Clara took a step forward. "So, what you're saying, is that one of those hidden memories could be the Dalek seeing a star?"

"Well, either that, or the bulbs need changing." Lexi shrugged.

"It really could be the bulbs." Journey deadpanned.

"Got a better idea?"

Journey sighed. "Really wish I had."

"Yeah, well, we don't have time to think of anything else." Lexi said, crouching down before pulling off one of the panels. "Here we go, Impossibles. Look for lightbulbs that are out and turn them on."

Lucas and Clara nodded, both of them glancing at each other before crawling in behind Lexi, Journey staying back to guard them.

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Body cavity, Organic compartment_...

"I saved your life, Rusty." The Doctor told the Dalek. "Now I'm going to go one better. I'm going to save your soul."

"Daleks do not have souls." Rusty declared.

"Oh, no? Imagine if you did. What then, Rusty? What would happen then?"

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Cortex_...

"We're in the cortex." Clara said as she, Lucas and Lexi crawled amongst cables and wires.

"If there's a pack of spare bulbs, break it to me gently." Journey replied, her voice a bit muffled since she was guarding them from outside the cortex.

Lucas then hit some live wires, wincing as he was shocked a bit before smacking a dark panel nearby, grinning when there was a flash. "We've got something!"

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Body cavity, Organic compartment_...

The Doctor watched a flash travel down neurons to Rusty, watching as images of dying soldiers appeared on screens. "Your memories." He said. "I'm about to give some back to you."

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Cortex_...

"Are you alright, Lucas?" Clara called up to him from where she was crawling behind him.

"Yeah, fine." He answered, shaking his hand out a bit. "It was some sort of energy charge."

"You got the first lights on." Journey called from outside the cortex.

"Of course!" Lexi grinned. "It's a brain! Brains work with electrical pathways linking up memories. And we're turning them back on!"

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Body cavity, Organic compartment_...

"You see, all those years, when I began... I was just running." The Doctor spoke as he used his sonic screwdriver to cut through some flexible tubing covering neurons. "I called myself the Doctor, but it was just a name. And then I went to Skaro, and then I met you lot and I understood... who I was." He yanked fibers from out of the tubing. "The Doctor was not the Daleks."

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Cortex_...

"You'd better get a move on, there's company coming!" Journey called from outside the cortex, the sound of firing being heard. "Hurry up!"

"Come on, Rusty! Show us a star!" Clara banged on another darkened panel, watching it turn on.

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Body cavity, Organic compartment_...

"Oh, look." The Doctor watched more images flow onto screens. "It's your memories again. It's like somebody's mucking about up there. Memories, all those memories. Do you remember the star you saw being born?"

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Cortex_...

"Almost done!" Lexi crawled along. "Just one more to go."

"Hurry up!" Journey called. "Hurry up!"

Lexi thumped one last panel, making the last of the lights turn on. "Glorious, you did it!" Journey laughed. "It's rebooting! The antibodies have reset!"

•••

 _Inside, Dalek, Body cavity, Organic compartment_...

"I..." Rusty paused. "I remember."

"You saw the truth, Rusty." The Doctor nodded. "Remember how you felt. You saw a star being born! The endless birth of the universe."

"No!"

"And you realized the truth about the Daleks."

"Truth? What is the truth?"

"Let me show you the truth. I've opened your mind, and now I'm coming in." The Doctor spliced the ends of neurons together with his hands, screaming as energy warped through him. A moment later, he was connected to Rusty. "I'm part of you. My mind is in your mind."

"I see your mind, Doctor." Rusty declared. "I see your universe."

"And isn't the universe beautiful?"

"I see beauty."

"Yes, that's good. That is good. Hold onto that."

"I see endless, divine perfection."

"Make it a part of you. Remember how you feel right now. Put it inside you and live by it."

"I see into your soul, Doctor. I see beauty. I see divinity. I... see... hatred."

"Hatred?" The Doctor blinked, obviously surprised.

"I see your hatred of the Daleks, and it is good."

"No, no, no. You must see more than that." The Doctor shook his head, watching as some of his own memories of defeating the Daleks appeared on the screens. "There must be more that that."

"Death to the Daleks! Death to the Daleks! Death to the Daleks!"

"No, there must be more than that." The Doctor shook his head wildly, even though he already knew it was of no use. "There must be more than that! Please!"

"Daleks are evil. Daleks must be exterminated. Daleks are evil. Daleks must be exterminated! Exterminate!"

The Doctor hung his head, not really knowing what to think of it all. Should he be more worried that Rusty was turning on his comrades? Or should he be more worried that all Rusty saw in him was his hatred for the Daleks?

"The Daleks are exterminated." Rusty declared.

"Of course they are." The Doctor muttered, looking back up. "That's what you do, isn't it?"

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle_...

"Journey!" Morgan called in relief, seeing Journey and the time travelers had returned to normal size.

"Uncle Morgan!" Journey ran to him.

"I have transmitted a retreat signal." Rusty said as the uncle and niece hugged. "The Daleks will believe the humans have initiated the ship's self-destruct."

"What about you, Rusty?" Clara asked.

"I must go with them."

"Of course you must." The Doctor scowled. "You've unfinished work, haven't you?"

"Victory is yours, but it does not please you." Rusty noted.

"You looked inside me and you saw hatred. That's not victory. Victory would have made a good Dalek."

"I am not a good Dalek. You are a good Dalek."

The Doctor set his jaw and nodded once. "Till the next time."

Everyone watched as the Doctor and Rusty went their separate ways, then Journey frowned. "Is he leaving? Isn't he going to say goodbye?"

"Yeah... We've grown to not really like goodbyes that much. At all." Lexi said apologetically before reaching out and giving Journey a quick hug. "But good luck to you. To all of you."

"Sorry." Lucas smiled sheepishly before he and Clara followed after Lexi. "Gotta run."

•••

 _Inside, Aristotle, Landing bay_...

They joined the Doctor back at the TARDIS just before Journey came running up. "Doctor!" She called, making the Doctor turn to her. "Take me with you."

The Doctor examined her, really considering what she said before bracing himself. "I think you're probably nice." He told her. "Underneath it all, I think you're kind, and you're definitely brave. I just wish you hadn't been a soldier."

Clara sighed at that, giving Journey a small smile before she and Lucas then followed the Doctor into the TARDIS.

However... Lexi did hang back a minute and walked over to Journey. "You are brilliant, Journey Blue. And don't hesitate to call on us for help if you need it 'cause we will come." Journey smiled slightly, Lexi then pulling her into a tight hug. "Just don't forget what you learned here today." She said before pulling away, giving Journey a small smile. "Good luck."

•••

 _Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

"How do I look?" Clara asked as she ran back up the stairs to the main level of the console room, just having changed her clothes.

"Sort of short and round-ish, but with a good personality." The Doctor replied, leaning against the console. "Which is the main thing."

"Ignore him, Clara." Lexi rolled her eyes as she walked up the set of steps that lead to where her piano was. "You look great."

"Thank you, Glorious." She beamed before shooting a look at the Doctor. "At least someone's good at noticing things."

The Doctor just rolled his eyes, turning around to face the console before pulling a lever, the TARDIS landing a moment later. "Okay." He announced. "You're back in your cupboard thirty seconds after you left."

"When will we see you two again?" Lucas chimed in as he emerged from a corridor on the lower level, having changed his clothes as well.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later." Lexi said, tapping one of the ivory keys of her grand piano, a single music note resonating throughout the console room. "I'll set the coordinates next time."

Clara shook her head fondly at that as she walked to the door while Lucas crossed over to the other side of the console room and walked up the set of steps that lead to where Lexi was.

Clara paused as she opened the door, glancing back at the Doctor. "I don't know."

The Doctor frowned. "I'm sorry?"

Clara turned completely around to face him. "You asked me if you're a good man, and the answer is, I don't know. But I think you try to be, and I think that's probably the point."

The Doctor smiled at her. "I think you're probably an amazing teacher."

"I think I better be." She smiled before glancing over to where Lucas was now leaning against Lexi's piano. "You coming?"

"In a minute." He told her, Clara nodding before completely exiting the TARDIS and shutting the door behind her.

•••

 _Inside, School, Hall, Day_...

Clara left the supply closet and nearly ran right into Danny.

"Ah, hey." Danny grinned.

Clara smiled. "Hey, Danny."

"Have you changed your clothes?" Danny blinked, looking her over.

Clara blinked herself, then sighed. "Yes." She nodded, not having really thought that over. "Yes, I have. Well noticed."

"Okay. Good."

"Yes, very good, good work. You passed the test." Clara said as they began walking down the hall together.

"Are you really going to go for a drink with me?" Danny asked her.

"Yeah, course I am." Clara nodded. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I just thought... I thought you might have a rule against soldiers."

"No. No, not at all." Clara shook her head, continuing down the hall as Danny stopped at a classroom. "Not me."

•••

 _Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

"What can I do for you, Lucas?" Lexi asked, crossing her arms and smiling kindly at her companion from where she sat on the bench behind her piano.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder to see the Doctor trying to look distracted as he fiddled with various controls on the console. Lucas knew better, though. He then sighed and turned his head back to look at Lexi, his arms folded on top of the closed grand piano. "I don't... know you now as I used to... know you before you changed." He managed to get out, making Lexi straighten in slight surprise. "And when I say that, I don't mean it in a bad way." He assured her. "What I mean is... I'm ready to find everything out along the way. 'Cause I know you'll try to do that for yourself. And I know it's different since you said yourself that you've never been through this before."

"You're not talking about the face I have now, are you?" Lexi asked softly, getting to her feet.

Lucas pulled her into a hug. "No." He told her quietly. "I promised her that if I chose to stay, I would hold onto everything for as long as I could." He then pulled away slightly to look down into her eyes. "And I'm going to do that because I'm not going anywhere for a very long time."

Lexi sniffled before pulling Lucas back into their hug, holding onto him tightly. "Thank you." She whispered, kissing his cheek as they pulled away from each other again.

Lucas smiled at her, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze before walking back down the steps to the console. "And if she shows up, tell Jupiter I'm sorry I missed her today."

"Alright..." Lexi nodded slowly as she came down the steps herself, the Doctor emerging from the other side of the console as Lucas walked to the door. "Till the next time."

"Yeah." Lucas smiled as he left, shutting the door behind him.

The Doctor slowly brought his gaze from the door to look at his wife. "D'you think it's strange that any time the twins were brought up today, Lucas always just mentioned Jupiter?"

"Not really." Lexi shrugged as walked back up the steps to her piano, smirking internally since her motherly intuition was saying otherwise.

"Right." The Doctor said, unsure. He then just shook his head before pulling the dematerialization lever, sending him and Lexi off into the time vortex.

* * *

 **A/N: Gah! I'm freaking loving Evaldi! And the hints of Jucas were fun to throw in as well. I know Jupiter wasn't actually in this episode, but she'll be showing up again very soon (in a filler chapter that's coming up next).**

 **This episode actually turned out to be a bit more fun to write than I originally thought. I love the Evaldi moments I was able to sprinkle in throughout the episode. I love them so much! ️**

 **Anyway, the next update you'll actually be getting from me is " _The End of the World_ " for the Doctor, the Guardian, Rose and Daisy in " _For What It's Worth_ ". **

**So, stay tuned!**

 **💋 _Love always,_**

 _ **~Maddy**_


	14. Hangover, Coffee, Fireside Chat, and Tea

**A/N: *appears like Moriarty***

 **Did you miss me?**

 **I missed you all so much!**

 **I am back and am ready to continue this amazing tale of adventures with our Couple of Time, Twins of Time, and Impossibles!**

 **This little filler chapter is something that I did enjoy writing as it gives us a bit more of Lexi and Lucas ('cause we always enjoy those two together ️). We're also gonna get a little glimpse of a side of a certain time twin we haven't really gotten to see before. And we also get a bit of a Jucas moment as well! I adore those two so much.**

 **Now I'm gonna be honest with y'all, and maybe this is just me being my own worst critic, I don't feel that this filler chapter is my best work. I feel that it might be a tiny bit boring, but I still think it's kinda nice. And I hope you will, too.**

 **Anyway... I won't keep you any longer.**

 **Enjoy! 😘**

* * *

 _Inside,_ _TARDIS,_ _Jupiter's_ _bedroom_...

Feeling like a baby swaddled in a cocoon of soft cloud candy, Jupiter laid asleep within the numerous blankets that were on her bed. Jupiter herself seemed to be lost in the abyss of her mind's sleep as she nuzzled her face deeper into her soft and cushy pillow, furthering the disarray of the lovely red curls she had previously styled her hair into. But that particular little detail was completely disregarded given the fact that sweet Jupe was – for lack of a better description – so frickin' comfortable.

However, none of that would be too true once Jupiter herself actually came to her senses and awoke from the expanse of her nearly infinite dreamland. A place which took up the entire expanse of her mind whenever she found herself deep within the clutches of blissful sleep.

"Mm." Jupiter stirred, seeming to be pulled out of her comatose-like state by some unseen force. "I don't want to be awake yet." She mumbled as she rolled over onto her back to stare up at the ceiling as she tried to blink away the sleep from her eyes while beginning to feel the throbbing of her head, making her groan. "Why me?" She asked as she looked around the room, just then realizing she was actually in her own bedroom. "How did I get here?"

The TARDIS hummed, as if greeting the waking Jupiter, making said (and slightly confused) time twin groan as she rolled to her side while putting her fingers to her temples, eyes now closed again.

"Oh, please don't hum so loudly." Jupiter winced as she rubbed her temples, trying to ease the throbbing in her head.

The TARDIS hummed once more.

"Yes you are." Jupiter rolled her eyes, wincing again as the headache she had intensified from the motion.

As if exasperated, the TARDIS did actually hum once more, but at a quieter decibel.

"Thank you." Jupiter said softly.

The TARDIS hummed again.

"Really?" Jupiter asked, bringing herself to open her eyes as she continued to lay on her side. She moved her head just the slightest bit in order to look at her nightstand, just then noticing a note propped up against her lamp. Curious, Jupiter propped herself up on one elbow while ignoring the slight bout of nausea that churned in her stomach before reaching over and taking hold of the note, her eyes scanning over the contents.

~o0o~

 ** _Dear Hopefully-Sober-By-Now Jupiter,_**

 ** _You may not remember but I, your awesome brother, took you back to the TARDIS last night after being informed by a couple of bodyguards that things were beginning to get a bit out of control at Her Royal Highness's hen do. Now, don't ask me what happened 'cause I wasn't at the hen do. I was in Monaco at the bride-to-be's fiancé's stag do. I came to check on you and decided it was probably best if I took you back to the TARDIS in order for you to sleep things off. By the way, you say some of the funniest things when you've had a few too many. Reminds me a bit of our university days, actually. Anyway, I've gone back to rejoin the stag do festivities. Not sure of when exactly I'll be back, but I'll stumble in again at some point. Your vortex manipulator is locked in the middle drawer of your nightstand in case you need it. The key is hidden under your lamp._**

 ** _The Best Brother In the World,_**

 ** _Sky_**

~o0o~

"Ugh." Jupiter flopped down onto her back again, holding the note above her face as she scanned over the words one more time. "I don't remember that at all." She muttered, putting the note back on her nightstand before slowly sitting up. "I need coffee."

As if not realizing that she probably should have stood up slowly to help with dizziness, Jupiter tumbled right to the floor as soon as she got up from her bed and groaned as she laid there.

The TARDIS made a series of beeping noises at her.

"Oh, shut up." Jupiter grumbled as she propped herself up on her hands, taking a couple of deep breaths to gather herself as she bowed her head slightly to try and will her headache to go away even just the tiniest bit. "That is the last time I ever partake in a shot drinking contest... At least I think that's what it was..."

The TARDIS beeped again.

"Well, give me a break." Jupiter sighed, sitting on the floor and leaning back against the side of her bed as she prepared to get to her feet. "It's been awhile since I really partied. Anyway, no matter. If you will now excuse me, dear Idris, I am going to go try and un-zombify myself."

With that, Jupiter ever-so carefully pushed up off the floor to stand on slightly wobbly legs before making her way over to her en suite.

•••

 _Inside,_ _TARDIS,_ _Library_...

"Wait, so... you've actually gotten to meet Edgar Allan Poe?" Lucas asked as he sat in a chair across from Lexi, the two of them chatting over tea by the crackling fireplace in the TARDIS library.

"Mm-hm." Lexi nodded before taking a sip from her cuppa while she had her legs tucked up underneath herself, a black and red plaid-print fuzzy blanket wrapped around her as she sat on the small sofa across from Lucas. "And yes, he could be just as insane as many of his story make him out to be. Although, he can hold a very interesting conversation a lot of the time."

"Right." Lucas nodded once before lifting his teacup to his lips, pausing. "Now it occurs to me to ask... Was the Raven ever actually there?"

All Lexi did was smirk, raising an eyebrow as she took another sip of tea.

Lucas sighed, not being able to help but smile just the tiniest bit. "Not going to get an answer, am I?"

"What would be the fun in that?" She asked him. "True, you would know the answer to if the Raven was ever really there, but then all the fun of the mystery itself would be taken away."

"Suppose that would make things a bit dull." Lucas agreed before setting his teacup aside. "I'll just go to the kitchen and fetch us some more biscuits then, shall I?"

"Well, the Doctor's messing with his guitar and Clara's asleep, so... Why not? I mean, it's pretty clear we're not busy here in the TARDIS today." Lexi shrugged, setting her own teacup aside before grabbing the copy of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' she had been reading on-and-off during the course of her fireside chat with Lucas, said man standing up from the chair he had been sitting in. "Anyway, would you grab a couple slices of pumpkin bread as well while you're at it?"

"Sure, no problem." He told her as he made his way to the double doors that lead out of the library. "And when I get back, we're picking up where we left off. There's more to this Raven business, I can tell."

"Oh, just go on, you." Lexi laughed, shaking her head while looking back to the small book in her hands as Lucas exited the room.

•••

 _Inside,_ _TARDIS,_ _Kitchen_...

Even though he may not know everything about her, Lucas would still consider Jupiter a close friend (maybe more, if he was being honest). Even still, he was not exactly expecting to enter the kitchen and find Jupiter sitting at the table with a pair of sunglasses on her face as she stared, unfocusing, down at a cup of coffee.

Lucas raised an amused eyebrow as he stepped further into the kitchen.

"Good morning, sunshine. I gather it was a good hen do." He told her, recalling what Lexi and the Doctor had mentioned about Jupiter and Sky having gone to Hen and Stag parties.

Jupiter groaned, putting her fingers to her temples. "Shush. Don't talk so loud."

"Oh, I think I'm speaking at a perfectly normal decibel." Lucas spoke levelly, smirking a bit as he grabbed another packet of biscuits from inside one of the TARDIS's kitchen cupboards. "Seriously, though, are you alright?"

"Yes, I... think so." Jupiter yawned a little as she grabbed and cradled her mug of coffee in both hands before lifting it towards her lips. "Or at least I will be once this wears off... God, I'm never drinking that much ever again."

"Now, let's not be hasty." Lucas chuckled, setting the packet of biscuits down on the counter before going about cutting a couple slices of pumpkin bread. "We may be able travel to the future, but that doesn't mean we should try and dictate it."

Jupiter smiled slightly. "Even when it comes to drinking?"

"Oh, Jupiter..." Lucas grinned, glancing her way. "Especially then."

Jupiter giggled at that, setting her coffee mug down before lowering her sunglasses a bit to peek at Lucas more clearly. "Cheeky one, _Harper_."

"I do my best, _Pond_." He told her, winking before taking the small plate he had put the pumpkin bread slices on as well as snatching up the packet of biscuits he had got out. "Would you care to join me and your mother in the library? We're chatting about all things Poe."

"The mad writer ' _Poe_ ', or the Teletubby ' _Po_ '?" She enquired, perching her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose once more "Either way, I'm in."

Lucas blinked. "Er... the writer." He replied slowly, tilting his head slightly as he thought. "Although, it wouldn't surprise me if we somehow found a way to carry on a conversation about the toddler-face creature."

"I agree." Jupiter began as she tiredly got to her feet, taking her coffee mug with her. "I mean, when you do what all of us do, it isn't too difficult to find new avenues for conversation."

"Isn't that the truth." Lucas chuckled as Jupiter refilled her coffee mug before joining him at the entrance of the kitchen. "Anyway, library. Shall we?"

"We shall." Jupiter smiled, nodding as the two of them walked out into the corridor. "Might as well enjoy this peace and quiet while it lasts."

"Oh, I definitely agree with that." He replied, taking a breath. "I lost a game of _Rock_ - _Paper_ - _Scissors_ with Clara... She gets to pick where we all go next."

"Ooh, that ought to be interesting." Jupiter smirked a bit.

Lucas let out a laugh as he and Jupiter came to the doors that lead into the library, Jupiter pushing them open with the hand that wasn't holding her mug of steaming coffee.

"Oh, Jupiter... It's bound to be."

* * *

 **A/N: There ya go!**

 **See what I mean, though? I'm not entirely happy with how this came out. I don't feel that it exhibits the higher-quality content I'm usually able to produce. BUT, at least it's something.**

 **There's not really much for me to report at the moment, to be honest. College classes have been kicking my ass, but the semester is almost over. So there's that.**

 **Anyway, stayed tuned for the next update in this story. I'm actually super excited to write this next episode because it's... " _Robot_ _of_ _Sherwood_ "! It's one of my favorites from series eight.**

 **Until then!**

 **💋 _Love always,_**

 ** _~Maddy_**


	15. Robot of Sherwood: Part 1

**A/N: Hello, my lovely darling dears! ️**

 **I can't believe how long I've been gone from this story! I just doesn't seem real. It's been, like, since... December(?), I believe.**

 **College has been kicking my you-know-what (I know I've used this excuse in the past, but it's true and valid). But hey, on the bright side, I'm finally done with the semester and have my associates degree! I mean, it has taken me four years to do it. However, that's only because I downsized from taking five classes a semester to only taking three. Anyway, bottom line, is that I finally have some sort of college degree and can now "look forward to" next semester when I'll begin working towards my bachelors degree (in History).**

 **So yeah, that's my life update right now. I'm going to shut up so we can get on with reading this AMAZING episode that I've been looking forward to for so very long.**

 **Guest stars, anyone?**

~o0o~

GUEST STARRING

• **Emma Stone** as **_Jupiter Pond_**

• **Tom Riley** as **_Robin Hood_**

~o0o~

 **Like seriously, I love this episode so much (among many other ones, let's be honest).**

 **We've got the Doctor, Lexi, Lucas, Clara and Jupiter together for a particularly merry medieval adventure in the High Middle Ages!**

 **This is gonna be fun.**

 **I now very merrily present to you... " _Robot of Sherwood_ "!**

 **Enjoy! 😘**

* * *

 _Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

"Take a punt." The Doctor told Clara while writing various Gallifreyan symbols on an old-fashioned chalkboard that was on the upper level of the console room.

"Right." Clara giggled, twirling a lock of hair around her finger while mindlessly spinning around in a swivel chair on the floor by the console.

"Your choice. Wherever, whenever, anywhere in time and space."

"Told you it was her turn." Lucas whispered to Jupiter, glancing at said ginger and flashing her a smile as the two of them leaned against the railing in front of Lexi's piano on the upper level of the room.

Jupiter smiled back slightly before looking down to where Clara was. "So, Ozzie, where to?"

She bit her lip a bit in thought, trying to suppress a smile. "Well... there is something – someone that I've always wanted to meet. But I know what you'll say."

"Try me." The Doctor challenged.

"You'll say he's made, that there is no such thing."

"Go on."

"It's..." Clara smiled wide. "It's Robin Hood."

"Robin Hood." The Doctor nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah!" Clara gushed, leaping to her feet before rushing up the steps towards the Doctor. "I love that story! I've always loved it, ever since I was little."

"Robin Hood." Lexi spoke up before eating a spoonful of chocolate ice cream as she lounged back in the Doctor's leather chair. "If my recollection is accurate," She began while preparing another spoonful of chocolate ice cream from the bowl she had set in her lap. "that is the tale of the heroic outlaw who robs from the rich before turning around and giving it to the poor."

"Yeah!" Clara grinned.

Lucas sighed, bowing his head before looking to where Clara was on the other side of the room. "I thought we stopped believing in that fanciful story when we were children."

"I can't hurt to at least explore the possibility." Jupiter glanced at Lucas.

"Exactly!" Clara gestured in Jupiter's direction before looking back to the Doctor. "Please?"

"He's made up." He shook his head. "There's no such thing."

"Ah." Clara pointed at him. "You see? What did I tell you?"

"Old-fashioned heroes only exist in old-fashioned story books, Clara." The Doctor said as he took a book from the bookshelf they happened to be standing next to.

"And what about you and the Glorious?" She tilted her head. "Or even Jupiter and Sky?"

"What about us?" Lexi asked curiously as she stood up from the leather chair by her piano, abandoning her bowl of chocolate ice cream and leaving what was left of it to melt.

"Well..." Clara glanced over at her. "You stop bad things happening every minute of every day. That sounds pretty heroic to me."

"Just passing the time." The Doctor shrugged, licking yogurt he had been snacking on off a spoon while Lexi made her way down to the console, Jupiter and Lucas following behind her. "Hey, what about Mars?"

"To be honest, that may not be the best idea." Lexi leaned past the time rotor to look at them. "You know, given some of your past experiences."

"But the Ice Warrior Hives, Lex!" The Doctor exclaimed excitedly as he swiveled a chalkboard on its stand.

She raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Did we not all agree that it was Clara's choice this time 'round?"

"Oh! What about the Tumescent Arrows of the Half-Light?" The Doctor suggested, seemingly ignoring everyone as he brushed past Clara and went down the steps towards the console.

"Those girls can hold their drink and fracture fifteen different levels of reality simultaneously." Lexi recited, rounding the console to look at the Doctor more directly. "We've all seen the Polaroid."

"Despite the fact that some of us here were actually there during the actual event." Jupiter added, crossing her arms. "If Clara wants to see Robin Hood, I say we take her."

The Doctor groaned, hanging his head at both his wife and daughter's words. "Very well." He resigned, Clara squealing in excitement and bounding over to the console as the Doctor went about setting the coordinates while Lexi and Jupiter shared triumphant looks. "Earth. England. Sherwood Forest. 1190 AD...ish." He sighed, pulling the lever. "But you'll only be disappointed."

•••••

 _Outside, Forest glade, Day_...

The TARDIS materialized in the middle of the forest, the air being filled with birdsong and the sound of a babbling brook running nearby.

"No damsels in distress." The Doctor announced as he stepped out of the TARDIS, making a show of looking around and not noticing that it was only Lucas who stepped out of the TARDIS after him. "No pretty castles." He scoffed. "No such thing as Robin Hood."

Just then, an arrow whizzed by, causing the Doctor and Lucas to jump away from each other out of its path before it embedded itself into the door of the TARDIS.

The two men blinked, looking back at where the arrow was in the door before looking around at a man as he emerged from behind a fallen tree on the other side of the brook.

"You called?" The man called over to them while posing with a longbow.

"What the hell...?" Lucas whispered, a bit dumbstruck as he and the Doctor were faced with someone who could very well be the infamous Prince of Thieves.

"Very, very nicely done with the box, sir." Robin told the Doctor while preparing to cross the stream, the Doctor himself pulling the arrow out of the TARDIS door. "I saw a Turk perform something very similar at Nottingham Fair. It's a trick with mirrors, no doubt?"

"A trick?" The Doctor repeated.

"A good jest." Robin nodded with a grin. "Ha ha!"

"Oh please, not the laughter." Lucas muttered. "Clara will have a field day with this."

"This is not a trick." The Doctor pointed at the TARDIS. "This is a TARDIS."

"Whatever it is, you bony rascal, I'm afraid I must relieve you of it." Robin shrugged before stepping onto a log that crossed the brook, the top of said log being cut in order for it to act as a bridge.

"It's my property, that's what it is." The Doctor snapped, stepping forward a bit.

"Well, don't you know all property is theft to Robin Hood?" He held out his arms.

"You're not serious." The Doctor deadpanned.

"I'm many things, sir, but I'm never that." He grinned. "Robin Hood laughs in the face of all! Ha ha ha!"

"Okay, that is going to get annoying." Lucas frowned a bit.

The Doctor glanced at him. "Should you ask or should I?"

"Out of curiosity, has anyone ever punched you in the face when you do that?" Lucas went ahead and asked, looking towards the outlaw.

"Not as yet." Robin shrugged.

"Well, I can gather what comes next." Lucas stated, glancing at the Doctor again. "You're up."

"Don't mind if I do."

"You know, I never get tired of dressing up for different time periods." A familiar voice came from behind them. "I just didn't quite expect to feel so..."

"Badass Medieval Queen?" Another familiar voice offered.

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Well, she is the one who helped you pick it out." Yet another familiar voice broke in. "So it really isn't much of a surprise that it would be something like that."

"Okay, fine. I yield." Lexi sighed as she stepped out of the TARDIS, wearing a deep royal blue medieval gown with gold accents and billowing sleeves, her shoulder-length light blonde hair twisted into a myriad of braids (curtesy of hair extensions), pulled into a bun, with the rest of her hair tumbling down her back like a waterfall, and a golden headpiece (like a small crown) laden with diamonds and sapphires adorning her forehead. "Still, this is a bit –"

"Bloody glorious, my Queen." The Doctor stared at her, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Oh, hush." Lexi blushed, looking herself over. "Really, though?" She quirked an eyebrow, looking back up at him. "You think?"

"Beautiful." Is all he said, nothing but honesty in his tone as his gaze raked over her entirely.

"You see?" Clara grinned as she stepped out of the TARDIS and skipped over to them, wearing a red-orange dress with draping sleeves, a silver headpiece resting on her forehead. "I believe Jupiter did quite well in her suggestion for you."

"Yes, thank you, Clara." Jupiter said as she emerged in an off-the-shoulder dark green dress with an even darker emerald green velvet cloak wrapping around her body completely, a silver medieval beaded girdle belt around her waist, and her red hair styled in a beautiful side-braid that was draped over her right shoulder. "But I would prefer it if we did not discuss my parents'... affinity for each other while I'm around."

Lexi couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit at her daughter's comment before tilting her head as she looked at Robin. "So... Who's your friend?"

Robin was just staring at the three women with a stunned look. "By all the saints..." He whispered, pointing in the general direction of the TARDIS. "Are there any more in there?"

"Wait a moment..." Lexi whispered, her eyes widening. "No."

"Way." Jupiter's jaw fell open.

Clara's eyes lit up. "Is that...?" She pointed.

"No." The Doctor shook his head.

"It's not possible." Lucas said, adamant.

"Oh, my God." Clara squeaked. "Oh, my God! It is, isn't it? You found him! You actually found Robin Hood!"

"That is not Robin Hood." The Doctor ground out.

"Well, then, who, sir, is about to relieve you of your magic box?" He smirked, drawing his sword.

"Ooh, are we swording now?" Lexi grinned, clapping her hands excitedly. "I do so love swording."

"Nobody, sir." The Doctor raised an eyebrow, then hopped onto the log bridge Robin stood upon as Lucas and the girls quickly moved to stand on some large moss-covered rocks that were nearby in order to watch what was about to unfold. "Not in this universe or the next."

"Well, then, draw your sword and prove your words."

"I have no sword." The Doctor opened his jacket and spun to show him. "I don't need a sword. Because I am... the Doctor." He pulled out a leather gauntlet before sliding it onto his right hand, smirking. "And this..." He whipped out the spoon he'd been using to eat his yogurt earlier. "is my spoon!"

"En garde!" Jupiter whooped, laughing.

As the two men dueled, Lucas tilted his head, watching. "I do not believe I've ever seen a sword fight where one of the participants used a spoon in lieu of a sword."

"And yet, we are not surprised that the Doctor would be the one to do it." Lexi smirked, not taking her eyes off the fight.

"Not in the least."

"Ow!" Robin yelped when the Doctor hit him on the head.

"You're amazing!" Clara grinned at the Doctor, excited to see him fight in a way that was definitely not common for him. At least that she had seen, anyway.

"I've had some experience!" The Doctor called back. "Richard the Lionheart! Cyrano de Bergerac!"

"Errol Flynn!" Lexi added, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet.

"He had the most enormous –" He ducked and smiled a bit sheepishly when he heard Jupiter clear her throat. "Ego."

"No offense, Dad," Jupiter smiled slightly. "but it takes one to know one."

Lexi raised an eyebrow when the Doctor's next hit landed on Robin's behind. "Careful!"

Robin's next swipe took off one of the Doctor's coat buttons. The Doctor stared at him, then straightened and stretched his arms out on either side.

"What is he doing?" Lucas frowned at watching the Doctor leave himself open for attack.

Lexi couldn't help grin as she watched her husband. "Wait for it..."

Robin lunged, but the Doctor deflected by spinning so he and Robin were back-to-back. One swipe of the Doctor's foot, and Robin was tumbling into the water.

"Doctor!" Clara gasped as she and the others ran down and onto the log bridge.

Lexi laughed, leaning up as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "That was amazing, my sweet!"

"Like I said," The Doctor smirked smugly, polishing off the spoon. "my box."

"Dad?" Jupiter looked over into the water. "Where is he?"

They all looked over and, for a moment, everything was calm. That is... until the Doctor suddenly fell into the water because of Robin coming up on the other side and pushing him in.

Lexi clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide as she giggled while Robin, Clara and Jupiter all openly laughed. Lucas himself looked amused, but still frowned a bit while looking from the drenched and angry Doctor to Robin; not truly believing that this fairytale of a man was actually real.

•••••

 _Outside, Forest, Camp_...

"Let me introduce you to my men." Robin said a while later after having lead the time travelers to his camp, his men sitting around a fire. "This is Will Scarlet. He is a cheeky rogue with a good sword arm and a slippery tongue."

"My ladies." Will bowed, only to yelp when the Doctor yanked out a few of his hairs. "Argh! What do you want with my hair?"

The Doctor scanned them, then frowned. "Well, it's realistic, I'll give you that."

Jupiter snorted as Robin went on to the next man. "And this is Friar Tuck. Aptly named for the amount of grub he tucks into."

"You skinny blackguard!" Tuck laughed, along with the others – until he nearly fell on his face trying to walk forward. "What are you doing?" He glanced back at the Doctor behind him.

The Doctor held up Tuck's sandal. "This isn't a real sandal."

"Yes, it is."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes, then sniffed the sandal and blinked. "Oh, yes, it is."

Robin cleared his throat, going to the next man. "This, er, is Alan-a-Dale. He's a master of the lute, whose music brightens up these dark days."

" _Strangers, you are welcome here / In Sherwood's bonny glade_..." Alan began singing, only to yelp when the Doctor jabbed some sort of high-tech syringe into his arm. "Ow!"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." The Doctor apologized. "Blood analysis. Oh..." He blinked at the results. "All those diseases. If you were real, you'd be dead in six months."

Alan frowned. "I am real."

The Doctor paused for a moment before nodding at Alan. "Bye."

"And this..." Robin began once more. "is John Little, called little John." He told them, stepping in front of a huge man. "He's my loyal companion in many an adventure."

Lexi, Jupiter and Clara stared at the large man, all three of them sporting happy smiles. Lucas stood behind them and looked at the man dubiously. Still, Lucas thought to himself and reminded himself that he was still a gentleman and would be courteous and politely meet the man. No matter if he was real or not.

However, before anyone could think about anything else, a little man suddenly popped out from behind the giant of a man; everyone laughing at the three women's surprise reactions.

"Works every time!" Will grinned.

"Oh, I cannot believe this!" Clara gushed, looking around. "You... You really are Robin Hood and his Merry Men!"

"Aye!" Robin grinned, pointing at her. "That is an apt description. What say you, lads?"

"Aye!" They all agreed, laughing.

Lexi giggled at them before gasping as a thought occurred to her, prompting her to excitedly tap Clara on the shoulder. "You so just named them the Merry Men!"

"Oh, my God... I so did!" She exclaimed, her smile becoming wider as she laughed. "Oh, this just gets better and better!"

"Stop laughing." The Doctor scowled at everyone. "Why are you always doing that? Are you all simple or something?" He picked up a wooden goblet, tossing the liquid inside away before holding it out to Robin. "I'm going to need a sample."

Robin blinked at him. "Of what?"

"And that's our cue." Jupiter said quickly before she and Lexi grabbed either one of the Doctor's arms and ushered him away.

"Excuse us, sorry." Clara smiled sweetly before she and Lucas rushed after the Couple of Time and Jupiter. "Okay, Doctor, what are you doing?"

"Well, they're not holograms, that much is obvious." The Doctor shrugged. "Could be a theme park from the future. Or we might be inside a miniscope."

"Oh, shut up."

"A miniscope! Yes, of course. Why not?" He asked, not really caring if he got an actual answer before he then just walked off again to some other part of the campsite.

Lexi just rolled her eyes and looked to Robin as said man walked over to them while Lucas wandered off to keep an eye on the Doctor. "Do excuse him. He tends to be like that."

"He seems... not quite of the real world." Robin remarked.

Lexi nodded slowly, smiling slightly. "That... is putting it mildly."

"You are right, though." Clara cut in. "He's not really. Not most of the time, anyway."

"Dark days?" Jupiter turned to Robin.

"My lady?" He frowned.

"You said that these were dark days. What did you mean?"

"King Richard is away on crusade, my lady." Will answered. "His tyrant of a brother rules instead."

"And the Sheriff?" Clara enquired. "'Cause... there is a sheriff, right?"

"Aye." Alan nodded. "It is indeed this jackal of the prince's who seeks to oppress us forever more."

"Or six months in your case." The Doctor's voice broke in, causing them to look in his direction where he and Lucas were examining different parts of the campsite.

"Yeah... Best not divulge anything like that, don't you think?" Lucas cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow at the Doctor.

"Oh, what does it matter?" The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Okay..." Clara said slowly as they brought their attention away from the Doctor and Lucas's hushed conversation.

"It is a shame to dwell on murky thoughts..." Robin trailed off as he looked to his right and gazed at the three women who stood beside him. "when there is such beauty here."

Jupiter frowned at Robin, tilting her head a bit. "Why are you so sad?"

Robin blinked, looking at her. "Why do you think me sad?"

"Because my father's right... You laugh too much."

Robin just sighed. "You know, I do not live this outlaw life by choice. You see before you... Robert –"

"Earl of Loxley." Jupiter and Clara both said in unison, both sporting wide grins.

"Yes." Robin blinked at them.

Lexi smiled at him. "Please, good sir, do go on."

"I, er," Robin sighed. "I had my lands and titles stripped from me. I dared to speak out against Prince John. But I lost the thing most dear to me."

Clara smiled sadly. "What was she called?"

"You're so very quick." Robin chuckled. "How does the Doctor stand it?"

"I might have a hand in that." Lexi stated, shrugging. "Anyway, your lady love?"

"Marian, isn't it?" Clara asked.

Robin blinked. "You know her?"

"Oh, yes. I have always known her."

"It was Marian who told me that I must stand up and be counted." Robin told them. "But... I was afraid. Now this green canopy is my palace and the rough ground my feather bed. Maybe one day I will return home, but until that day... until that day it is beholden on me to be the man Marian wanted, to be a hero for those who this tyrant sheriff slaughters."

Just then, as if from nowhere, the Doctor popped back up. "What time is it, Mister Hood?"

Robin looked up at the sky, towards the sun. "Somewhat after noon."

"No, no, time of year. What season?"

"Oh, Dame Autumn has draped her mellow skirts about the forest, Doctor." Robin answered. "The time of mists and harvest approaches."

"Look, that's all very poetic and everything." Lucas cut in as he came around behind Lexi. "And believe me, I can appreciate a good poem. But, everything around us... it's very green. Too green. All very... sunny."

"And?" Clara raised an eyebrow at her best friend.

The Doctor scoffed. "Have you been to Nottingham?"

Jupiter her head as she herself looked skyward. "Maybe it's climate change."

The Doctor glanced at his daughter. "It's 1190." He stated, as if that explained everything.

"You must excuse me." Robin cleared his throat before making his way back over to his men. "The Sheriff has issued a proclamation, and tomorrow, there is to be a contest to find the best archer in the land. And the bounty... it's an arrow made of pure gold!"

As the rest of the men celebrated, Clara shook her head. "No! Don't go! It's a trap!"

"Well, of course it is!" Robin laughed. "But a contest to find the best archer in the land? There is no contest!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes at the laughter that received. "Right, that isn't even funny." He pointed at them. "That was bantering. I am totally against bantering."

Lexi rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she scowled slightly at her husband. "How are you so sure that he isn't the real thing?"

"Because he can't be." The Doctor shook his head.

"Do we need to have a discussion about the impossible again?" Lexi raised an eyebrow; Jupiter, Clara and Lucas all instinctively taking a step back from the duo. "Seriously, when did you actually stop believing in everything?"

"When did you start believing in impossible heroes?"

Lexi's frown deepened a little as she tilted her head a bit, gazing up at her husband's face. "Did you really just ask me that question?"

"Tension much?" Clara whispered from her spot in between Jupiter and Lucas.

"The Doctor does have a bit of a point, though." Lucas mumbled.

Clara glanced at him quickly. "What?"

"Shush." Jupiter hissed at them.

The Doctor just stared down into his wife's eyes, Lexi's gaze never faltering.

The Doctor soon just sighed in defeat, knowing he wouldn't be able to win that discussion. He then simply cleared his throat, bit into an apple, then scanned it with his sonic.


	16. Robot of Sherwood: Part 2

_Outside, Nottingham Castle, Yard, Day_...

"I have the odd – or in our case, not so odd – feeling that Dad is going to do something idiotic." Jupiter commented as she stood with her mother and Lucas, the three of them watching Clara standing a few feet away with Robin.

"Is there even a doubt?" Lexi let out a giggle at her daughter's commentary while clapping politely for the finalists. "Even Lucas, who's been surprisingly skeptical this whole time, can't argue that your father has a tendency to draw unwanted attention to himself."

"I'll give you that one." Lucas admitted, nodding as he clapped.

"In the contest for the golden arrow, after ten rounds, the battle is betwixt our Lord Sheriff and the stranger known as Tom the Tinker!" The herald announced.

The cheer for 'Tom the Tinker', otherwise known as Robin Hood, was louder. Jupiter narrowed her eyes, seeing the Sheriff say something. "'Perhaps not such a stranger after all.'" She muttered, reading his lips.

"What?" Lexi glanced her way, Jupiter leaning over to her to whisper in her ear.

"Take your places!" The herald ordered.

The two stepped forward, then Robin said, "Shall we make the contest a little more interesting, my Lord? The targets seem a little close. What say you? Another twenty paces?"

"Why not?" The Sheriff smiled thinly, gesturing for the target to be moved. When it was back far enough for both of them, the Sheriff took aim. His black arrow hit the middle of the bulls-eye. He chuckled, turning to Robin. "Now, Tinker, let us see thy true face."

Robin just aimed and fired, splitting the black arrow with his own white arrow. "Ye Gads!" The herald gasped dramatically. "He has split the arrow! Truly, he is the finest archer in all England! Come forth, Tinker, and claim your prize."

The herald stepped down from the dais and presented the arrow to Robin. Said outlaw smirked as he walked forward to claim the golden arrow, but in the process, was nearly hit by a multi-colored arrow, which split the white arrow right down the middle.

"And there we are." Lexi deadpanned as she crossed her arms, barely batting an eye.

"I'm the Doctor." He said as he walked forward, smirking at the Sheriff and the herald. "My skills as a bowman speak for themselves. I claim my reward." The herald knelt and offered the arrow, the Doctor picking it up before just scoffing. "A mere bauble." He tossed it away towards the Merry Men. "I want something else."

"Name it." The Sheriff responded.

"Enlightenment –"

Before the Doctor could continue, Robin fired again, splitting the Doctor's arrow. "Seriously?" Jupiter sighed, crossing her arms in much the same way as her mother.

Lexi smirked a bit, shaking her head slightly as the Doctor fired again, this arrow bouncing off a guard's armor before splitting Robin's arrow. "I find this very amusing."

Robin didn't even look the next time to split the Doctor's arrow. Said Time Lord rolled his eyes. "This is getting silly." He declared.

And before anyone could do anything else; the Doctor pulled out his sonic and aimed it at the target before pressing the button and making the target explode.

Lexi closed her eyes. "Perfect." She muttered before making a quick beeline towards her husband, Jupiter and Lucas running after her; all three of them just in time to join Clara as the guards drew swords on the Doctor.

Clara herself quickly grabbed a huge halberd from a rack. "What are you doing?" The Doctor stared at her as she tried to swing it. "Put that down!"

"I'm fine." Clara waved him off. "I take Year Seven for after-school Taekwondo."

"I don't think that's going to help us right now." Lucas rolled his eyes, grabbing a sword from the rack and unsheathing it before holding it at the ready.

"Don't worry, Doctor." Robin called, drawing his own sword. "I'll save you!"

"I don't need saving!" The Doctor scowled.

"Your honor is safe!"

"I know!"

"For I am Robin!" He removed his hat to cheers. "Robin Hood!"

Jupiter's eyes widened as Robin's swing took off one knight's arm, which fell to the ground and sparked. "Witchery!" A voice screamed as the Doctor bent down to examine the robot arm. "Witchery!"

"Robot." The Doctor declared, looking up, grinning when the knight's helmet opened to reveal a metal face, a violet light shining brighter from the cross that was slit into the metal between its eyebrows. "Now we're getting somewhere!"

"Take them!" The Sheriff demanded. "Kill the rest! Kill them all!"

"Jupiter!" Lexi shouted. "Lucas!"

The duo was already moving – Jupiter running while using the laser setting on her sonic to fire on any knight that she could as Lucas re-sheathed the sword he had picked up before then running and scooping up a couple children to rush them to safety.

"He surrenders!" The Doctor called.

"What?" Robin blinked.

The Doctor just knocked Robin's sword out of his hand. "Ha!"

"Jupiter, Lucas, get out of here!" Lexi shouted, just being able to spot the two amongst the chaotic sea of fleeing people.

"You miserable cur!" Robin spat. "I had them on the run!"

"Oh, really?" Lexi rolled her eyes, holding her hands up. "Then what do you call this?!"

"Flee, lads! Flee!" Robin called to the Merry Men. "Live to fight another day!"

"To the dungeons with all of them." The Sheriff ordered as the Merry Men ran for their lives and Jupiter and Lucas disappeared into the nearby forest.

"Oh, this brings back memories." Lexi whispered, smirking a bit as they were led away by the robot knights.

"Quickest way to find out anybody's plans," The Doctor smirked back. "get yourself captured."

•••••

 _Inside, Castle, Dungeon_...

"Splendid." Robin ground out as he, the Doctor, Lexi and Clara sat chained to posts in the stone floor of the dungeon. "Enchained!"

"I was once forced down below to the galley of a ship." Lexi remarked, leaning her back against the post she was chained to. "The only difference here is we're not on water."

"Trussed up like turkey-cocks." Robin glanced in her direction. "Thanks to your husband."

"Shut it, Hoodie. I saved your life." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"I had the situation well in hand!"

"Long-haired ninny versus robot killer knights? I know where I'd put my money."

"If you had not betrayed me, I would have been triumphant."

"You would have been a little puff of smoke and ashes!"

"Oh, ha!"

"You'd have been floating around in tiny little laughing bits in people's goblets!"

"Balderdash. Ha!"

"Oh, right, here we go," The Doctor grumbled. "it's laughing time."

"Well, you amuse me, grey old man."

"Not so much of an exaggeration anymore." Lexi thought out loud as she discreetly slipped Clara her sonic screwdriver, trying to make her chains jingle as little as possible.

Clara snickered as she slipped Lexi's sonic into the sleeve of her dress. "People can actually say that now if they want to, can't they?"

"Guard!" The Doctor shouted, making both women wince. "He's laughing again! You can't keep me locked up with a laughing person!"

"Oh, I find that, I find that quite funny." Robin glared at him. "Do you know, I feel another laugh coming on! Ah ha ha ha!"

"Guards, I cannot remain in this cell!" The Doctor shouted, making Lexi close her eyes and clench her fists in frustration. "Execute me now!"

"You heard him!" Robin called. "Execute the old fool!"

"No, hang on, execute him!"

"I do not fear death, so execute away!"

"Execute him! I'd like to see if his head keeps laughing when you chop it off!"

"Oh, Robin Hood always laughs in the face of death!"

"Yes, rolling around the floor laughing, I would pay good money to see that! Guard!"

"Guard!"

"Guard!"

"Guard!"

Lexi lightly banged her head against the post she was chained to, sharing an unamused look with Clara as the Doctor and Robin kept shouting for a guard. Bloody testosterone is what they were witnessing.

"Oh, will you both just SHUT UP!" Lexi finally yelled, quieting both men immediately. "I don't think I've ever seen two big egos go at each other like you both are right now." She glared slightly at the both of them. "So, it dawns on me to ask if either of you realizes that there isn't actually a guard out there."

The Doctor blinked. "Oh."

"I did, in fact." Robin tried to recover.

Clara leaned past Lexi to look at Robin. "Did you? Did you really?"

"At least the 'grey old man' admitted it." Lexi tilted her head a bit as she, too, looked at Robin while the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Now, both of you, please shut up. The Doctor and Robin Hood, locked up in a cellar. At this rate, you're both going to starve to death in here squabbling."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing." Robin straightened. "I'd Last a lot longer than this desiccated man-crone."

The Doctor scoffed. "Really?"

"Really."

"Well, you know what?" He leaned towards Robin. "I think you'll find I have a certain genetic advantage."

Lexi glared and yanked on her chains, jerking the two men towards her and Clara. "It is not a competition about who can die slower."

"I would definitely be me, though, wouldn't it?" The Doctor felt the need to just add more to it.

"Yes, my sweet, it would." She admitted, smiling at him. "Now, plans. Do either of you actually have a plan?"

"Yeah, of course I have a plan." The Doctor nodded.

"I, too, have a plan." Robin cut in.

"Oi." The Doctor scowled at him. "My wife, I go first."

"Robin, you first." Lexi told him.

"Why him?" The Doctor whined slightly.

"Do shut up."

"Yes, love."

"Robin? Please speak."

"I am..." Robin faltered for a moment. "...biding my time."

"Thank you, Prince of Thieves." Lexi rolled her eyes before raising an eyebrow at her husband. "Not-so Last of the Lords?"

"Yes, I have a plan." He nodded.

"Unless you can explain this plan without using the words 'sonic screwdriver', don't bother. No need to waste anymore of our time. Because, if you've forgotten, the Sheriff of Nottingham has taken your screwdriver. We can't always depend on that, you know."

The Doctor paused a moment before sighing. "Okay."

Clara giggled slightly. "So, the Glorious was right. You don't have a plan."

Just then, the door was suddenly unlocked, and Robin grinned. "See? There was a guard. There was a guard listening the whole time. I knew it. Ha ha ha ha!"

"The Sheriff himself commanded me to listen, to find out which of you is the true ringleader." The guard told them.

"Ah, so he can do the interrogating." The Doctor nodded. "Very wise."

"Excellent." Robin grinned. "He will get nothing from me."

"No, no, no." The Doctor shook his head. "He will get nothing from me. Because interrogation, that's where I always turn the tables. You see, that's my plan."

"Just hurry up and take me to him." Robin ordered.

"No, no, chop chop, come on."

Lexi rolled her eyes when the guard took her chains off. "Seriously?"

"Come on." The guard ordered, pulling her up before leading her out of the dungeon.

"No." The Doctor's eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" Robin stared after them.

"Don't be ridiculous! Let her go!" The Doctor shouted as the door slammed, Clara looking on calmly. "Bring her back!"

•••••

 _Outside, Forest, Night_...

"Are you becoming less skeptical now?" Jupiter asked as she and Lucas trekked through the dark forest. "Are the killer robot knights more up to par with what you've gotten used to?"

"Okay, I will admit, things are... becoming a little more believable." Lucas crossed his arms as he walked alongside her. "Still, you can't blame me, a History teacher, for being a bit disbelieving of a man who is supposed to be just a myth. A story. Something that doesn't actually exist."

"Yeah, well, turns out he does exist." She stated as she wrapped her cloak around herself more tightly. "He's a living, breathing human being... I wonder how he, Clara and my parents are getting on."

"Oh, I'm sure they're in some sort of trouble by now."

"I don't doubt it."

Lucas glanced at her, biting his lip for a moment before sighing as he looked straight ahead again. "Jupiter... Can we talk?"

"About what?" She quirked an eyebrow as the two of them came to a stop at the edge of an empty clearing of trees.

"Like you don't know." He refrained from rolling his eyes.

Jupiter sighed, looking at the ground. "...Victorian London."

"Yes." Lucas threw his hands up before he began pacing. "I understand that we were busy at the time. Your parents had just regenerated and were lost. You know, that's sort of more important than... romantic feelings." He closed his eyes for a moment, actually having said those last two words. "I just want to know one thing..." He trailed off, opening his eyes again and looking straight at her. "Am I wasting my time?"

Jupiter blinked, staring at him. She literally just stood there, stock still. She took a deep breath before taking a step forward. "Lucas..." She said softly. "I... I want to talk about this with you. I really do. And I will... But right now, we need to figure out what our next move is going to be. My parents, Clara and Robin aren't in a good situation right now"

Lucas pressed his lips together for a few moments, then nodded.

"As you wish."

•••••

 _Outside, Forest, Camp, Night_...

"'Tis a thing of beauty indeed." Little John said as he examined the golden arrow.

"And will feed a family for a twelvemonth when melted down." Will added as he took hold of the arrow.

"Tonight we rest." Tuck declared as he took the arrow from Will. "Tomorrow, we must draw up plans to rescue Robin. We shall soon see how those Mechanicals feel about the taste of Nottingham steel. Lord, forgive me."

"Strange, though, is it not?" Alan tilted his head, examining the arrow as Tuck handed it to him.

"What?" Little John asked.

"All this looting that the Sheriff's doing. And yet, 'tis only ever gold that he takes. Pearls, rubies, all the precious jewels of the realm seem no consequence to him. Only gold." Alan handed the arrow back to Tuck, then picked up his lute and started singing. " _Poor Robin and the strangers lay_ / _In the dungeon all the live-long day_ / _The Merry Men might pine away_ / _Upon a Sherwood morning_."


	17. Robot of Sherwood: Part 3

_Inside, Castle, Sheriff's chambers_...

"Eat, my Lady, eat." The Sheriff urged as he sat at one end of a table laden with all kinds of food while Lexi sat at the opposite end. There were candles burning throughout the room and a large fire in the fireplace. "Let it not be said that the Sheriff of Nottingham is a poor host."

Lexi quirked an eyebrow. "I had a bowl of chocolate ice cream this morning, thanks."

He tilted his head. "Your words are strange, fair one."

"I should think they are. After all, chocolate ice cream won't be invented until the late seventeenth century." She crossed her arms. "And if my calculations are accurate, that's not going to happen for another five hundred years."

"I like you." The Sheriff smirked at her. "You're refreshingly... direct."

"You can take the girl out of Scotland."

The Sheriff held up an item in clear wrap, then the Doctor's spoon. "Taken from your friend's strange tunic. An intriguing gallimaufry. Including... this wand. Evidently a thing of awesome power. Tell me... Are you from beyond the stars?"

"I don't think you should be asking me that question, oh Sheriff with the robot army." Lexi retorted.

•••••

 _Inside, Castle, Dungeon_...

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor scowled at Robin.

"No, beat your breast." Robin told him as Clara sat alongside them, trying not to laugh. "Moan. Groan as though twenty devils possessed your guts."

"What for?"

"So as to attract the attention of that gargoyle-faced guard."

"It's your plan, you moan."

"No, no, no, it won't work."

"Why?"

"Oh, because you're clearly more advanced in years, and you have a sickly aspect to you."

"I have a what?" The Doctor's scowl deepened as Clara snorted while silently using Lexi's sonic to undo her chains.

"You're as pale as milk. It's the way with Scots, they're strangers to vegetables."

"I'm not moaning. You moan."

"Fine." Robin sighed, rolling his eyes. "If you want something doing." He moaned loudly, then gave the Doctor a look. "Can I rely upon you to do the rest?"

"Yes, yes, I know the drill."

Robin kept moaning, and the guard spoke through the barred window in the door. "What is this din?"

"No business of yours, cur." The Doctor glared before turning to Robin. "Speak up. I can't hear you."

"What ails him?" The guard asked as Robin moaned more.

"None of your business."

The guard entered with a frown. "I said, what ails him?"

"Well, if you must know..." The Doctor grinned. "He's having a nervous breakdown."

"A what?"

"He's like this whenever he's in any kind of danger. He just can't seem to cope, he gets so afraid. He goes into a kind of fit. I honestly believe that he may die of sheer fright, like some tiny, shivering little mouse." Robin glared at the Doctor as he spoke and moaned. And just because the Doctor couldn't help himself – "Oh, God, I think he's soiled himself."

"Let him die." The guard brushed it off. "It will save us the trouble of executing him."

The Doctor tilted his head as the guard started to walk back to the door. "And what will happen to the reward?"

Perking up, the guard turned back around. "Reward?"

"Oh, God." The Doctor mocked a grimace. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Tell me!" The guard ordered.

"He carries a vital message. The Prince has promised a bounty."

"A big one?" The guard asked eagerly.

"An enormous one."

Robin mumbled something through his moaning, and the guard turned to him and leaned in. "What's that? Say again?"

"Come closer." Robin wheezed. The guard did, and Robin scowled at him. "Your breath stinks like a serpent. Has anyone ever told you that?" He then proceeded to head-butt the guard, who then fell to the floor, unconscious. Robin promptly looked over at the Doctor. "Soiled myself?"

"Did you?" The Doctor smirked. "That's getting into character." He then spotted the keys on the ground and reached for them with his foot. "Okay, come on, keys!"

"I'll get them." Robin said as he himself tried to reach the keys.

"No, I'll get them."

"I'll get them... I'll get them."

"I'm fine, no, no worries! I've got them!"

"I've got them! I'll get –"

In the two men's scuffle, the keys were soon pushed through a grate before they fell down and dropped into water.

"Well..." The Doctor started. "there is a bright side."

"Which is?" Robin glanced at him.

"Lex didn't see that."

"No, but I did." Clara finally spoke up, making both men look over at her, almost as if they were just remembering that she was there as well. "And can I say... I am absolutely going to love telling her all about it."

"Don't you dare." The Doctor narrowed his eyes at her.

"Now, is that any way to speak to the person who can free you?" She questioned as she held up Lexi's sonic, grinning at the Doctor and Robin's shocked faces. "Didn't think so."

•••••

 _Inside, Castle, Sheriff's chambers_...

"But enough of tawdry matters." The Sheriff stood from his chair and slowly walked towards Lexi, using his dagger to spear a grape before eating it as he went. "Let us talk of softer, sweeter things."

"Ah, lovely." Lexi smiled sweetly, clasping her hands. "That is just as I had hoped."

"It is?" The Sheriff asked her as he leaned against the edge of the table.

"Oh, yes." She nodded. "For I have known I was destined to draw the eye of a great and powerful man for a long time." She then unclasped her hands and picked up a goblet of wine. "It was from the very moment that I saw those mysterious lights in the sky."

"You saw them, too?"

"And those strange mechanical men with their promises."

"I, too, have experienced this."

"You have?" Lexi blinked ever-so innocently, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she set her goblet of wine back on the table. She was a married woman. A happily married woman. She would never use seduction to get what she wanted... unless she was having a bit of fun with her husband. But the situation she was currently in... well, she could manipulate it a little. "Good sir, I never would have guessed that." She told him. "Please, tell me your story."

"Tell me yours." The Sheriff countered.

"Oh, but sir, you must go first."

"Why so?"

"Because..." Lexi rested her hand on his as he held a goblet. "great men always precede."

The Sheriff preened. "You have a point."

"Your story, then, my Lord." Lexi grinned at him.

"Once upon a time," He began, pushing off from where he had been leaning against the table before going and perching himself on the arm of Lexi's chair. "there was a brave and clever and handsome man..."

"I can almost picture him." Lexi sighed out, glancing up at him as he sat with her. "I don't even have to close my eyes."

The Sheriff suddenly slammed his goblet onto the table before getting up and striding over to the fireplace. "...unappreciated by his royal master."

"Prince John?" She asked as she stood from her chair, stepping towards him and away from the table.

"The very same."

"Then came the lights in the sky, and everything changed."

The Sheriff nodded as he began circling Lexi, said woman watching his every move. "The skyship came to Earth in a fury of fire."

"I would say it was almost as if it were a crash." Lexi agreed. "Oh, how I remember it well."

"A craft from the heavenly spheres, bedight with twinkling lights and miracles beyond imagining." The Sheriff stopped his circling of Lexi, now standing close behind her. "The most beautiful thing the brave and handsome man had ever seen."

Lexi turned around to face him. "And I'm assuming the mechanical men saw you as their natural leader?"

"It was I and I alone to whom the mechanical men then imparted their secrets. Shortly, I shall be the most powerful man in the realm. King in all but name, for Nottingham is not enough."

"'Tis not?"

"After this, Derby."

"Of course."

"Then... Lincoln. And after Lincoln..."

"Worksop?"

The Sheriff stabbed the table with his dagger. "The world!"

•••••

 _Inside, Castle, Passageway_...

"And she just slipped it to you without us noticing?" The Doctor asked as he, Clara and Robin exited the dungeon.

"Well, it's not like it was difficult." Clara rolled her eyes as they ascended a set of steps. "You both were pretty well occupied, if you can call it that."

"Clever one, your wife." Robin remarked as they ascended another set of steps.

"Glorious." The Doctor and Clara glanced back at him in unison before looking ahead once more.

•••••

 _Inside, Castle, Sheriff's chambers_...

"So what are you hanging around here for, then, Your Majesty?" Lexi tilted her head, trying to cajole the Sheriff as said man brooded while leaning against the table. "Why are you bothering to squeeze pips out of peasants if you've got a skyship on standby?"

The Sheriff straightened. "Enough questions. I'm impatient to hear your story."

"Oh, but I do not have one." Lexi grinned. "I was lying."

The Sheriff blinked. "Lying?"

"Obviously." She responded, smirking as she popped a grape into her mouth. "Well, not about the great man. But that wasn't you. 'Cause, you see, the thing about people... They're so much better at sharing information if they believe you're the person who already has it."

The Sheriff tilted his his head, gazing at her. "Oh, that's very clever."

"Thank you."

"You'll do very well."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Doesn't every king... require a consort?"

Lexi flinched when the Sheriff placed his hands on the table on either side of her and leaned in to kiss her, but she swiftly ducked out of it and placed a hand on her chest to try and calm her racing hearts. "Right." She let out a shaky breath, swallowing. "You... You do that again, and you'll regret that."

•••••

 _Inside, Castle, Passageway_...

The Doctor, Clara and Robin climbed a stairway, the Doctor stopping when he spotted a metal door with a round window – a bright glow emanating from within.

With a look at Clara and Robin, the three then walked towards the door.

•••••

 _Inside, Castle, Spaceship_...

The Doctor beamed when they entered, seeing the long, futuristic metal room. At the far end was a large glowing sphere with two consoles. "At last – something real, no more fairytales."

Robin gawked at it all. "What is this place?"

"A spaceship." Clara responded as she walked further into the room, looking around at everything.

"More twenty-ninth century than twelfth." The Doctor pointed at her in agreement, going over to the console. "Data banks, data banks, data banks... Where was this ship headed?" He blinked when he read the monitor.

 **Destination: _The Promised Land_**

"The Promised Land again..." Clara whispered in disbelief as she walked up beside the Doctor. "It's like that Half-Faced Man."

"Just more sophisticated." The Doctor nodded. "It disguised itself as a twelfth century castle," He watched as information flew across the screen. "it merges into the culture, tries to keep a low profile, so no one notices. That explains the robot knights. But the engines... The engines are damaged. They're leaking radiation into the local atmosphere, creating a temporary climate of staggering benevolence."

"Beg pardon?" Robin blinked.

"It's just as Lucas said – It's too sunny. It's too green. And there is even an evil sheriff to oppress the locals. This explains everything," He glanced at Robin. "even you."

"It does?"

"Doctor..." Clara warned, frowning.

"Well, what does every oppressed peasant workforce need?" He questioned, ignoring her. "The illusion of hope." He stated. "Some silly story to get them through the day, lull them into docility and keep them working. Ship's data banks. Full of every myth and legend you could hope for, including Robin Hood." He gestured as the story rolled across the screen, showing different illustrations and images of Robin Hood. "Isn't it time you came clean with me? You're not real, and you know it. Look at you. Perfect eyes, perfect teeth. Nobody has a jawline like that. You're as much a part of what is happening here as the Sheriff and his metal knights. You're a robot."

"You dare to accuse me of collusion with that villain, the Sheriff?" Robin scowled.

"Robin. Doctor." Clara tried to get their attention.

The Doctor stepped towards Robin. "I dare."

"You false-tongued knave!" Robin glared at him, poking him in the chest. "I should have skewered you when I had the chance!"

The Doctor snorted. "I would like to see you try." He paused when the door was blown in by lasers, "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, y–" He began to roll his eyes, only to stop abruptly when Lexi was shoved in, her arm being gripped tightly by the Sheriff. "Lex!"

"Surrender, outlaw!" The Sheriff ordered.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Very good."

"Kill him." The Sheriff ordered. "Kill Robin Hood!"

"You can drop all that stuff now, Sheriff." The Doctor scoffed.

"Doctor, stop!" Clara exclaimed, stepping forward.

"He's not what you think he is. This is all play-acting."

"Is that so?"

"You're not fooling anyone, Sheriff." The Doctor scowled.

One of the robots fired at Robin, hitting the wall behind him, the concussion knocking him to the floor. Lexi took that moment to twist out of the Sheriff's grip, twisting his arm behind him. "Clara, get Robin and go!"

"What are you doing?" The Sheriff grimaced.

"What do you think?" She growled back as Clara ran and placed herself between the robot and Robin, said man already back on his feet and backing up to the blast hole.

"Sorry about this." Clara told Robin before grabbing his hand and pulling him out the hole with her.

"Clara!" The Doctor rushed over and looked down at the moat where the water rippled from Clara and Robin's splash. However, there was no other visible sign of the two.

"You know, I am sorry." The Sheriff spoke, Lexi still having his arm twisted behind his back. "You are a pretty thing, and what a queen you would have made..." He trailed off before twisting out of her grip and knocking her against the wall, the force of it knocking her unconscious. The Sheriff then turned around only to be met with a fist to the face.

The Doctor glared at the Sheriff as said man spat on the ground. "You. Do. Not. Touch. My. Wife." He growled, sparing a glance at his wife's unconscious body before looking back to the Sheriff. "That was the last straw. This ends now. Stop pretending, you and your fancy robots. I get it, I understand."

"Oh, so you, too, know my plans?"

"You and your robots plundering the surrounding countryside for all it's worth. Gold... Gold!" The Doctor snapped his fingers. "You are creating a matrix of gold to repair the engine circuitry."

"This is the scheme the Mechanicals have devised." The Sheriff confirmed. "Soon, this skyship will depart. Destination – London. There, I will obliterate the King and take my rightful place as ruler of this sceptered isle."

"It won't work." The Doctor shook his head. "There's not a chance. I've seen the instruments. There's been too much damage. You are stoking up a gigantic bomb!"

"Shush." The Sheriff put a finger to his lips, then pointed.

The Doctor frowned and turned – only to be met with a hard robot hit to his head, knocking him out.


	18. Robot of Sherwood: Part 4 - FINAL

_Inside, Castle, Smelting cavern_...

When the Doctor woke up again, he found himself chained to the wall. Lexi was chained to the wall right alongside him while still unconscious as two robots walked past them, carrying a giant golden circuit. "Lex, love, you alright?" The Doctor asked her as he tried pushing himself up into a sitting position. "Come on, wake up."

"Engine capacity a forty-eight percent." A knight's robotic voice spoke over everything.

"It's not going... to be enough." Lexi mumbled before her eyes snapped opened and she sat straight up. "That's not enough."

"Engine capacity at forty-eight percent." The knight's voice spoke again.

"That'll never make it into orbit." The Doctor agreed as he looked at his wife in concern before they both paused, hearing a mechanical whumph noise. "That's the engines..." He mumbled. "They're building in power."

"That stupid Sheriff." Lexi muttered before she and the Doctor tried to get out of their chains, pulling on them. "Argh! Go on, give, you stupid... things!" Lexi and the Doctor both paused when they noticed a young woman was staring at them. Lexi raised a challenging eyebrow at her. "And might I ask what you're looking at?"

•••••

 _Outside, Forest, Camp, Dawn_...

Clara sat on a log as the fire burned in the wee hours of the morning, Robin and the Merry Men staring at her expectantly.

Robin crossed his arms. "The time for games is over, Miss Oswald."

•••••

 _Inside, Castle, Smelting cavern_...

"I think I understand you." The young woman told Lexi and the Doctor, working to undo their chains given that Clara still had Lexi's sonic. "The Sheriff's using the gold to replace something."

"That's the principle." The Doctor nodded. "But he's a moron. If he tries to fly this ship, it'll explode and wipe out half the country. What we need... is a little riot."

"'Tis time to reflect on lasers and gold." Lexi grinned as the young woman managed to undo their chains. "Thank you." She told her. "Now go, spread the word."

•••••

 _Outside, Forest, Camp_...

"You will tell me everything this Doctor and Glorious know about Robin Hood and his Merry Men." Robin ordered, staring Clara down.

Clara frowned. "What is this? Why are you interrogating me?"

Robin pointed at her. "And then, you will tell me exactly who this Doctor and Glorious are, and what are their plans."

"Actually," A familiar voice spoke, making everyone turn to see Jupiter and Lucas standing at the edge of the camp, both of them standing atop a large rock. "she won't."

"Jupiter. Lucas." Clara said, quickly standing up from the log.

"I will tell you." Jupiter stated while staring directly at Robin, hopping down from the rock with Lucas following. "If it's about my parents... it should come from me."

Robin stared at her as she and Lucas reached them, then nodded.

"Then, by all means, speak."

•••••

 _Inside, Castle, Smelting cavern_...

"You are fit for labor." A knight said as it stopped in front of the Doctor, Lexi and the young woman. "Stand aside while these peasant units are freed."

"I'm afraid you're a little late." The Doctor tsked.

"Explain."

"We're already free!" Lexi exclaimed as she and the Doctor held up their free hands.

The knight's beam powered up, but the Doctor and Lexi grabbed gold trays – reflecting the laser back at the robot. The knight quickly turned to the young woman, but she, too, held up a gold tray and reflected the laser back at the knight, making its head explode and fall off – the knight then collapsing to the ground. The Doctor, Lexi and the young woman all then got up and ran for the doorway – only to be met by more robot knights. All the other peasant workers were now holding up their own gold trays. Everyone was deflecting the laser blasts, making the knights explode. "Everyone, the last one!" The Doctor exclaimed as they all surrounded the last knight that was left.

The knight fired, but several gold trays kept the beam bouncing around until it finally hit the knight again, making it explode.

"Get out! Out!" Lexi gestured. "Everyone, quickly, just get out! Now!"

"You've saved us all, clever ones." The young woman beamed, hugging Lexi and the Doctor. "Thank you!"

"Engine capacity at eighty-two percent." One knight said as the Sheriff suddenly stormed in.

"You are indeed an ingenious fellow, Doctor." The Sheriff remarked as the young woman fled. "And you, Glorious, certainly live up to your name." He smiled thinly. "But do you really believe your peasants' revolt can stop me?"

"I rather believe you're the revolting one around here." Lexi glared. "After all, you did try and kiss me – a married woman."

"He did _what?_ " The Doctor glanced at her.

"Oh, do feel free to punch him for me." She looked to her husband. "You know, since I haven't gotten a real chance yet."

"Trust me, I have." The Doctor assured. "But I certainly wouldn't mind doing it again." He then looked back towards the Sheriff. "You don't have enough gold content to seal the engine breach. If you try and take off, you'll wipe out half of England."

"Liar!" The Sheriff snarled before picking up the head of a robot. "From my sky vessel, I shall rule omnipotent."

"You pudding-headed primitive, shut down the engines." The Doctor snapped. "What you're doing will alter the course of History."

"I sincerely hope so. Or I wouldn't be bothering." The Sheriff then tossed the robot knight's head into the crucible.

"Please, listen to us." Lexi tried as the robots began advancing on her and the Doctor. "It doesn't have to end like this."

"Just shut it all down," The Doctor agreed. "and we'll do what we can... Robin is one of yours."

The Sheriff turned back around, holding up a hand to stop the robots advancing on the Couple of Time. "What did you say?"

"Yes, Doctor, what did you say?" Lexi frowned, looking to her husband. "I seriously can't believe you right now."

"He's one of his tin-headed puppets." The Doctor said, glancing at his wife while gesturing at the Sheriff and then the robots. "Just like these brutes here."

"Robin Hood is not one of mine." The Sheriff shook his head as they looked back to him.

"Of course he is." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "He's a robot, created by your mechanical mates."

"Why would they do that?"

"To pacify the locals, give them false hope. He's the opiate of the masses."

Lexi squinted at the Doctor. "That makes no sense."

"She's right." The Sheriff nodded at Lexi. "Why would we create an enemy to fight us? What 'sense' would that make? That would be a terrible idea."

"Yes! Yes, it would." The Doctor blinked. "Wouldn't it? Yes, that would be a rubbish idea. Why would you do that?"

"Getting it now?" Lexi raised an eyebrow.

"But he can't be..." The Doctor trailed off. "He's not real! He's a legend!"

"Too kind!" Robin's voice called, and they looked up to see Robin up in the gallery. "And this legend does not come alone."

"Hiya!" Clara waved, grinning as she appeared from behind Robin.

"Did you honestly think we'd miss all the fun?" Jupiter smirked as she and Lucas joined them.

Robin and Lucas climbed over the railing, Robin putting his dagger into a hanging banner while Lucas put the sword he had squired into a another banner opposite it. Clara and Jupiter then climbed over the railing themselves, Clara putting her arms around Robin's neck while Jupiter put her arms around Lucas's. Both men used a tearing motion with their respective weapons to take them slowly to the floor.

"Not bad, Mister Harper." Jupiter grinned.

Lucas smiled slightly as she let go of him, taking his sword from the banner and re-sheathing it. "There's more where that came from."

"You alright?" Robin asked Clara.

"Hell, yeah!" She beamed.

"Good." Robin smirked, taking his dagger from the banner before throwing it at the Sheriff. Said man dodged the blade, Robin using that as a distraction to unsheathe his sword. "My men have taken the castle."

"No!" The Sheriff snarled.

"Now I'm going to take you." Robin pointed his sword at the Sheriff.

"This one's all mine." The Sheriff narrowed his eyes, touching an amulet around his neck. The two knights that had come with him powered down. "What do you say, outlaw?" He drew his sword. "A final reckoning?"

"Oh, yes." Robin nodded.

"Are you all alright?" Lexi asked as she and the Doctor walked over to join the others, the Sheriff and Robin dueling behind them.

"Of course we are." Jupiter waved her off, straightening out her cloak.

"Good." The Doctor nodded just before the whole castle rumbled. "We don't have long."

"Here's your sonic." Clara handed Lexi back her screwdriver.

Lexi smiled, taking it before slipping it into the sleeve of her dress. "Thank you."

"I shall avenge every slight, outlaw!" The Sheriff bellowed as he and Robin continued their fight.

"Glorious..." Lucas looked up. "Doctor..."

"I know." The Doctor nodded. "The whole castle's about to blow."

"You have long been a thorn in my side!" The Sheriff growled.

"Well, everyone should have a hobby." Robin shrugged. "Mine's annoying you."

"I'll have you boiled in oil at the castle by sunset!"

"Can we make it a little earlier! 'Cause that's a little past my bedtime!"

The Sheriff snarled as Robin cut a rope and rode it up to a beam that crossed above the crucible. "I'm too much for you, outlaw! The first of a new breed. Half-man, half-engine!" He cut another rope and ascended to the beam in order to join Robin and continue their duel. "Never aging, never tiring."

"Are you still talking?"

The Sheriff cut Robin's arm, making said man drop his sword. Robin paused, looking down at the Doctor. He then held out his arms. "Bow down before your new king, you prince of knaves!" The Sheriff growled.

As the Sheriff charged, Robin straightened and spun so they were back-to-back. Then, using the same trick the Doctor has done at the stream, Robin made a swiping motion with his foot – which then made the Sheriff fall into the crucible of molten gold. The man screamed as he fell in, and Robin took a rope back down to the ground. "Sorry." Robin grinned a bit sheepishly, hand on his arm as he walked back over to the Couple of Time, their companions and daughter. "Was that, er, was that showing off?"

"No." Lexi shook her head, grinning back. "That, was badass."

The castle then shook even more, and this time, bits and pieces of the ceiling began falling down. "Run!" The Doctor shouted, grabbing Lexi's hand and taking off. "Come on, run!"

•••••

 _Outside, Forest, Day_...

Everyone made it across the moat just in time to see the spaceship rise from one of the towers of the castle. "It's never going to make it." The Doctor shook his head. "Not enough gold. It'll never make it into orbit." He paused, looking around. "Where is it? Where did it go?"

"Where did what go?" Clara asked.

"The golden arrow!"

"I believe Tuck has it." Lucas chimed in.

The Doctor blinked. "You took it?"

"Of course we did." Tuck handed it over. "We're robbers."

"I love you boys." The Doctor sighed in relief, taking a bow someone offered him.

"My sweet, what exactly are you suggesting?" Lexi questioned.

"Think about it, Lex." The Doctor told her. "Golden arrow." He held it up. "It might just be enough gold content to get the ship into orbit and out of harm's way."

He held the bow and golden arrow out to Robin, said man shaking his head. "No, it has to be you. My arm is injured."

"Oh, he definitely cheated." Lexi narrowed her eyes at the Doctor. "Homing device?"

The Doctor sighed, smiling a bit sheepishly. "Homing device." He nodded.

"Oh, brilliant." Clara rolled her eyes. "Right, let me have a go."

"Taekwondo is not good practice for archery, Clara." Lucas pointed out.

"Oh, let me do it." Jupiter sighed, plucking the bow and golden arrow from her father before walking to the edge of the moat. "After all, I did quite well with a bow and arrow against the Silence." She glanced back at the Doctor. "I'm sure you remember that day."

The Doctor smirked a bit at his daughter. "Show us how it's done, then."

Jupiter looked ahead again and pulled the bow back to a full draw, aiming it towards the ship, narrowing her eyes before releasing the arrow – watching as it flew before piercing the hull of the ship. The ship sped onwards until it was out of range – above Earth as it exploded.

Jupiter smirked, lowering the bow. "Bullseye." She whispered as everyone cheered, Lexi rushing over to her for a hug.

"That was amazing!" Lexi squealed, hugging her daughter tightly.

"Thanks." Jupiter smiled, proud of herself as her mother released her.

"One awful day in Nottingham / Brave Robin Hood was in a jam" Alan sang on his lute. "The arrow flew true –"

Will snatched the lute from him with a laugh. "Give it a rest, Alan."

"Give me my lute!" Alan chased after him.

Lexi giggled at the Doctor, seeing him make a face at all the laughing. "Still not fond of the laughing thing?"

"No, no, no, no." The Doctor shook his head as everyone around him laughed.

•••••

 _Outside, Forest glade_...

"Woohoo!" Jupiter cheered as she and Robin shot arrows alongside each other, both of them hitting the middle of the target. Robin laughed at Jupiter's enthusiasm as she turned to him. "You know, Robin, I really am going to miss you. You were always one of my favorite stories."

"And you... are not quite what I expected." Robin smiled at her. "In a good way, though, I assure you."

She tilted her head slightly. "I believe you."

"...Mister Harper is a very lucky man."

Jupiter sighed. "I'm afraid he really isn't."

"Do not sell yourself short." Robin told her, frowning a bit. "You are much more than you give yourself credit for... If you have the chance for love, you should take it. A true opportunity for it does not come along very often."

"You say things like that... And yet you're disheartened about your lost love." She said, sincerity in her eyes as she looked at Robin. "You don't realize it, but Marian is so lucky to have you."

Robin sighed. "I fear not."

"Please, don't give up. Don't you dare. Not ever. Not once. Not for a single day." Jupiter kissed his cheek, then smiled. "And also, remember to be safe. You know, if possible. But above all else, be amazing."

"Hm." He considered.

She chuckled. "Goodbye, Robin Hood."

Robin smiled at her. "Goodbye, Jupiter Pond."

Jupiter grinned, winking at him before walking off towards the TARDIS.

"So, you believe it now?" Clara asked Lucas, her arms crossed as they stood by the TARDIS.

Lucas sighed, trying not to roll his eyes as Jupiter walked up to them. "My mind has been opened. So, yes." He said, opening the TARDIS door.

"Which is good." Jupiter commented as the three of them stepped inside. "Now, come on, you two. We're done with all the arguing."

"Thank goodness." Clara sighed as they shut the door.

And a little distance away, the Couple of Time were having their own conversation – Lexi sitting atop a medium-sized boulder while the Doctor leaned against it.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said quietly.

Lexi glanced up at his face. "I know." She then sighed and looked ahead of herself again. "You always come around in the end."

"I don't know if I'll ever truly understand why you have so much faith in me." He remarked before leaning down and plucking a sunflower from a nearby plant, then straightening back up. "You've always been a guiding light for me." He spoke softly as he twirled the sunflower between his fingers. "So beautiful, caring, selfless... So bright."

Lexi grinned as she glanced at him again. "And you wonder why I like you."

"Maybe one day I'll truly figure it out," The Doctor chuckled, turning to her before carefully placing the sunflower in her hair by her ear. "my beautiful Sunflower."

Lexi blushed, not being being able to wipe the smile off her face as her husband offered her his hand and helped her stand up from the boulder before the two of them made their way over to the TARDIS. "So is it true, Doctor, Glorious?" Robin asked as he joined them.

"Is what true?" The Doctor asked.

"That in the future I am forgotten as a real man? I am but a legend?"

"I'm afraid so." Lexi gave him a sad smile. "I believed you were real when we met you, I just couldn't quite put together how you could actually exist. After all, I read stories about you as a child. I even told a few to my children when they were growing up."

"Good." Robin nodded. "It's better that way. History is a burden. Stories can make us fly."

"I'm still have a little trouble believing yours, I'm afraid." The Doctor admitted.

"Is it so hard to credit? That a man born into wealth and privilege should find the plight of the oppressed and weak too much to bear..."

"No." He shook his head.

"...until one night, he is moved to steal a TARDIS? Fly among the stars, fighting the good fight." Robin turned his gaze to Lexi. "Before then crash landing in the garden of a little red-headed Scottish girl, making her wait a whole fourteen years before finally whisking her away." He smiled slightly. "Jupiter told me your stories."

The Doctor blinked, frowning a bit. "She should not have told you any of that."

"You know," Lexi let out a breath. "at this point, I don't think I really mind."

"Your daughter loves you both very much." Robin told them, sincere. "It seems to be quite difficult to get her to stop telling about all the reasons why you are the exact heroes this universe needs."

"We're not heroes." The Doctor shook his.

Lexi sighed, refraining from rolling her eyes. "It may not hurt to at least entertain the idea every once in a while."

"Hey, I'm not a hero either." Robin shrugged. "But if we all keep pretending to be... Ha ha! Perhaps others will be heroes in our name. Perhaps we will all be stories. And may those stories never end."

"Oh, I definitely agree with that." Lexi smiled, giving him a hug.

"Goodbye, Alexis Pond, Time Lady of Earth." Robin told her, then shook the Doctor's hand. "Goodbye, Doctor, Time Lord of Gallifrey."

"Goodbye, Robin Hood, Earl of Loxley." The Doctor responded.

"And remember, Doctor..." Robin said as Lexi opened the TARDIS door. "I'm just as real as you are."

The Doctor simply nodded once before then following his wife inside.

•••••

 _Inside, TARDIS, Console room_...

"Admit it." Clara snickered as the Couple of Time walked to join her, Lucas and Jupiter at the console. "You like him."

"Well, I'm leaving him a present, aren't I?" The Doctor replied, pulling the lever and sending the TARDIS into motion.

•••••

 _Outside, Forest glade_...

As the TARDIS dematerialized, Robin pulled a locket out from under his tunic and opened it to reveal a miniature of a dark-haired woman: Marian. Robin then looked up and saw the young woman the Doctor and Lexi has met at the castle – standing in the place where the TARDIS had been.

"Robin?" The woman spoke in disbelief. "I've found you at last!"

"Marian?" Robin asked, stunned.

Unbelievably happy to see each other again, the two ran towards each other – Robin taking Marian's face in both hands and kissing her. The Merry Men cheered as Robin then ran and hopped up onto the boulder Lexi had sat on just minutes before.

"Thank you! Thank you, Doctor and Glorious!" He shouted, shooting an arrow into the sky and laughing with unabashed merriment.

* * *

 **A/N: Woo!**

 **That was so much fun!**

 **I honestly had a blast writing this episode. And I truly hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **Again, I'm sorry it took so long to get this episode published. But hey, better late than never.**

 **Anyway, that's all for now. The next update for this story is going to be a filler chapter. A filler chapter where we're going to get the Doctor imparting a bit of advice to a certain time twin about falling in love with a human...**

 **Until then!**

 **💋 _Love always,_**

 _ **~Maddy**_


	19. A Father's Concern

**A/N: Hiya!**

 **I'm happy to see that y'all seem to have enjoyed " _Robot of Sherwood_ ". I actually just re-read it myself, and I love it!**

 **Anyway, as promised, here's a little filler chapter where we get to see the Doctor actually have a bit of a heart-to-heart with Jupiter. The specifics of this heart-to-heart...? Well, read to find out!**

 **Enjoy! 😘**

* * *

 _Inside, TARDIS, Kitchen_...

Walking into the TARDIS kitchen, the Doctor furrowed his brows when he saw his daughter sitting there with a mug of steaming tea cradled in both hands.

"What are you doing sitting in here, my dear?" The Doctor questioned as he walked over to stand across from her at the kitchen island. "Don't get me wrong, you're free to do as you please, this is your home as well. But that mug of tea is going to go cold if you don't drink it."

"Just because." Jupiter shrugged, not looking at her father before taking a sip of tea from her mug.

The Doctor quirked one of his attack eyebrows. "You know I don't believe that, don't you?"

Jupiter smirked slightly in amusement. "You'd think I know better by now."

"Well, you are my daughter." He gave her a small smile before turning around to the kettle on the stove in order to go about making a mug of tea for himself. "So, would you like to tell me what's taken over your thoughts?"

"Where is everyone?" She asked. "I sort of went and hid myself away in my room after we left Nottingham."

"Well, we dropped Clara and Lucas back home. Lucas was a bit reluctant to leave for some reason, but he did anyway. And your mother and Sky are having a chat in the library – your bother's back, by the way." He answered. "Why d'you ask?"

"I, er, I'm not too sure how to put it into exact words..." Jupiter began as she lightly tapped her fingers against the side of her mug of tea. "It's just that... I have a dilemma. And, well, I don't know how to deal with it." She tilted her head as she thought, then let out a breath. "When you fell in love with Mum... How did you deal with it?"

The Doctor paused stirring honey into his tea, glancing back at his daughter in confusion. "Why do you want to know that?"

Jupiter bit her bottom lip. "Mum... was human when you met her. And yet, you still eventually allowed yourself to be with her – even though you knew there was a very strong chance that you would lose her. Outlive her. Knew that she'd... fade from you."

"Well, she is a stubborn thing." The Doctor let out a chuckle, finishing stirring the honey into his tea before turning back around to face his daughter. "All worked out in the end, though. Still, this whole topic of conversation is giving me the feeling that there's more to what you're saying... What's wrong?"

"I think I might be having the same problem that you had." She confessed, taking another sip of her tea. "And it scares me." She let out a shaky breath, setting her mug of tea down. "One of the scarier things I've felt in my life."

"Might I ask what individual is causing you this trouble?" The Doctor enquired, going around the kitchen island to sit on a stool next to Jupiter. "After all, I can't have my dear daughter in a state of emotional distress."

"Oh, I really don't want to say." Jupiter folded her arms on top of the counter, bowing her head. "Besides, I don't think it's too hard to put together."

"Although, it might help if you said it out loud." The Doctor told her before taking a sip of his tea. "It's never good to keep things bottled up inside."

"And yet, it can be bad to let them out as well." Jupiter countered, glancing over at her father. "A bit of an impasse, don't you think?"

"Possibly." He admitted. "Still, whatever it is, I believe you can get through it. You're one of the strongest people that I know."

"But how?" She asked earnestly, clenching her fists as she tried to keep her emotions under control. "It's not like I'm just a normal person who can date whoever they want without fear of actually outliving them. I mean, hell, who else has this kind of problem?!"

"Oh, my dear." The Doctor sighed, setting his mug down before putting his hands over Jupiter's clenched fists, caressing them with his thumbs so as to try and soothe her. "I'm genuinely, truly sorry that you're feeling this way."

"I don't know what to do, Dad." Jupiter sniffled. "Robin said that if I have the chance for love, that I should take it. But what if it's just not even worth it in the end?"

"Come here, my Angel." The Doctor tried to smile, even if it was just a tiny one, as he brought his daughter in for a hug. "All love is worth it. All people, those with one heart or two or however many, deserve a chance at happiness. And if someone is fortunate enough for such an opportunity, they shouldn't pass it up." He stated as he held onto Jupiter, stroking her hair before pressing a kiss to her temple. "It took me a long time to realize that. It literally took me centuries to understand that one should not cast any love aside. Whatever form that presents itself to you, you should hold onto it for as long as you are able. I know this is easy for me to say now, your mother was a unique case. But as I said after I walked in here – you are my daughter. You are capable of, and have done, so many things that the ordinary individual can't even imagine. All I ask is that, in whatever decision you make, you have no regrets."

"No regrets." Jupiter repeated her father's last two words in a whisper, tightening her hold on him before pulling away and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "...Thank you, Dad."

The Doctor smiled at her, putting a hand to her cheek. "You are very welcome, my darling."

Jupiter smiled back at him as he stood from his spot on the stool next to her, plucking his mug of tea from the counter before exiting the kitchen.

Now alone, Jupiter took a deep breath and turned back to her now lukewarm mug of tea that still sat atop the kitchen island. She pursed her lips in thought for a moment before slowly raising her arm and lowering her jacket sleeve, revealing her vortex manipulator strapped securely around her wrist.

She bit her lip in contemplation, debating with herself, before a little smile slowly spread across her face.

* * *

 **A/N: Aww, my poor Jupe!**

 **So yeah, we all now clearly know (if we didn't already) the Doctor's position on love.**

 **I hope y'all enjoyed this. I really felt like writing a father and daughter scene. And given what this scene talked about... well, I thought that it was important. And if you go back and look in _Dying Embers_ , you'll realize that this filler chapter was a bit of a parallel to a filler chapter in that book called " _A Mother's Concern_ " between Lexi and Sky.**

 **Anyway, Jupiter's now off to go do... something. She didn't leave us knowing exactly what she was about to get up to, did she?**

 **I guess we'll have to wait until AFTER the next episode to find out.**

 **Next up is " _Listen_ "!**

 **Until then!**

 **💋 _Love always,_**

 _ **~Maddy**_


End file.
